Winter Song
by AidenH17
Summary: Lukas has been trapped and tortured by the evil king of Norway his whole life. He is given freedom if he kills Matthias, the soon-to-be King of Denmark. Matthias is also instructed to kill Lukas to be king. What happens when feelings get in the way of the mission? The crown, Love, or Freedom. What will they choose? Dennor - human names - au - background USUK and HongIce/IceKong
1. Winter Song

_A/N: Ok, so guess what? A new ship has entered my armada for fanfiction! So just enjoy the story and review. That would be very much appreciated!_

_A/N: A new chapter for this story will come out every Sunday. Enjoy!_

**Prologue: Winter Song**

My winter lasted year round. My winter song lasted all night every night. It was filled with a verse of sadness, a Pre-chorus of abuse, and the Chorus of pure torture. Sometimes I would be lucky enough to have a bridge of loneliness, but that was so very rare. But no matter what happened, when the song was over, I wanted my life to be over as well.

The old, wooden door creaked open, waking me up. Dim lights shined through the open crack in the door. I squinted for a second, because I hadn't seen the light in days. My last few nights only consisted of the bridge.

My stomach rumbled because I had not eaten either. A very familiar man showed himself in the partially open door way. I pulled my knees to my chest, ready for the worst. It always was the worst when he came.

"Get up, boy," the gruff voice he owned, said. I quickly got up to do as he said. If I didn't do his command in a time range of two seconds, he would… do things to me… that I'd rather not think about. The chains bound around my waist, wrists, and ankles clinked together when I sat up.

These chains were the only things I wore, since no one ever bothered to give me clothes. I had gotten used to the humiliation of standing in front of him, unclothed, but I still felt embarrassed when he stared at me when I was so… vulnerable.

When I was fully standing, the man I am forced to call 'King', came into my dark isolating completely, and closed the door behind him.

For a few seconds, the room was entirely pitch black, until he lit the inside of a lantern on fire. The room was now dim lit. I stared at him, as he walked around the room, inspecting if I did anything. I was always confused with how he thought I could do anything while being chained less than two inches to a cold wall, but I could never question him about it for many reasons.

After he was done with his inspection, he turned his attention to me. "Lukas…" he said, with a deep growl. I hated it when he said my name. For a full eighteen years – my whole life – I have had to put up with him saying my name through hatred and no love.

No wonder why I was emotionless. The only emotion I had been introduced to was anger and hatred, and I refuse to use those. He walked closer to me, where I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

I hated it when he was drunk. My torture was always worse than usual when he was intoxicated. It was more than just ten cuts up and down my arms and legs. It was more than a few hours of pure hell. It was the pain I go through almost everyday times five thousand.

I felt like his pet. A pet that was chained to the wall just to torture. I guess that really was what I was. That was the only reason why I was alive. I have never known anything else. My earliest memory was being thrown in here, and chained to the wall.

I was waiting for him to say something else to me. I was not allowed to speak ever. Not to him – not to myself. I have no idea what I sound like, actually. I guess I sound like the voice in my head… but I am not sure.

For once, I was happy that he continued speaking, "Lukas, do you want to get out of here?" he said grabbing a dagger from his pocket. I gulped, ready for him to stab me or brutally mutilate me. He held his dagger to the side, and said, "Now don't you dare speak, boy."

I was confused on what I was supposed to do. Not the speaking part, but the answer. Should I say yes or no? If I say or… nod, 'no', then he is going to find some way to make me regret it. I don't want to even think about what he would do if I nodded, 'yes'.

I went with my best chance, and shook my head, negatively. He smiled, and scratched his gray beard. He then started to do something that always horrified me, and laughed. When he laughed, it wasn't out of joy; it was out of anger.

Before I knew it, - even though it was expected – he was running the tip of his knife into my hip, and pulling it down to the bottom of my thigh. I wanted to scream, but if I did that, he would cut my tongue off – or so he threatened - . I only shook, and cried silently.

"I love it when you cry," he whispered in my ear, as he pulled the dagger out of my thigh, "It is so funny to see such an emotionless face producing tears." His beard started to tickle my ear, as he pressed his lips against my cheek.

I shuttered at the touch, but let it happen for my own sake. I then felt his hands wrap around my bloody waist and move down to just above my butt. This was one of the moments where I felt so vulnerable and weak.

My wrists were chained together over my head, my ankles were chained together to the ground, and my back was chained to the wall. What could I do? I wasn't allowed to speak, or fight back. I was basically this man's torture toy. I hated my life and I hated myself.

He started to move his lips down to my neck, but then abruptly stopped. I looked down at him to see what he was doing. He quickly pulled away, and said, "You distracted me from what I came here to say. You always were a slut."

He then slapped me with the back of his hand, causing me to have a raging headache after turning back his way. On the bright side, I did manage not to scream or show any pain in his previous action.

"I came here to tell you that after eighteen years of torturing you, things are starting to get boring," he said, getting down to business, "I want to make you a deal. The deal is, you go to Denmark for two weeks, pretending to be my son, also known as Prince Emil of Norway. There is a prince who is celebrating his soon to be reign of Denmark. You have to gain enough trust from him to bring him back here, so I can kill him myself. If you do not do the following under the dead line time of two weeks, I will kill him anyway and lock you back up in this dungeon, and open you up to the public. You got that?"

I nodded my head, nonchalantly. I was actually pretty excited for this chance to leave this hell hole, but I had a thought that this would end badly for me either way. "Any questions?" he practically yelled, putting his dagger back into his belt. I shook my head.

Of course I had questions, but I wasn't allowed to talk. "Good," he continued, "You will be leaving tomorrow night when everyone is asleep. I will have clothes and a ship waiting for you."

I didn't say anything. I just stood there and stared at him. Tomorrow night? How should I even act like this 'Prince Emil of Norway' if I never even met him? Well… I guess the Prince of Denmark never met him either if I am being sent to go meet him.

As I was thinking, I didn't even notice the 'King' get up and leave. He blew out the fire and left me in my room of total darkness.

I wasn't surprised that I didn't notice him sneak out. I usually never did, because I was always thinking about what I would do to escape this life. Now I had a chance, and I was going to do anything to succeed at my mission.

I repeated what I had to do to be free.

Pretend to by a Prince Emil of Norway when in Denmark

Become great friends with the prince.

Earn his trust – bring him back here with me

Be free

This seemed easy enough. I better not screw it up. I slowly slid down the wall of my cold, lonely, and dark room of isolation. I barely noticed the injury that was stinging on the side of my leg, and lower waist. That pain was being filled with my thoughts about the ending of the song.

This was the first time my winter song ended, and I didn't feel like dying. I felt like maybe I was going to be able to start a new song. A new winter song filled with happiness and freedom.

Was I getting my first real taste of hope?

_A/N: So that was the prologue! The chapters are going to come out every Sunday, but since this prologue was so short, I might update it on Wednesday or sooner. Just review how you like it so far, and if you actually want me to continue this! _

_Thanks ~_

_NORWEGIANPILOT17_


	2. Winter Sky

_A/N: I am trying to make it seem like Lukas is emotionless, but it is kind of hard when I am writing his POV. I am planning to make some chapters having Matthias' POV. Is that a good idea or not? Meh. Also, the next chapters will be longer than the last one. I guess you can just call the last chapter a Prologue? Ya… Why not? *Laughs nervously, and runs away*_

_A/N: By the way, I got attacked by a shark today. My brother and I were being stupid, and decided to follow a bull shark around in open waters (we were far away from the boat in the middle of the ocean). We weren't really think it was going to attack us or anything, because we were near coral. WELL…. We were wrong. It came after me, and I shoved my brother towards the shark, so I could swim away. He is alive though, and the shark just wanted to scare us off. But I count it as a shark attack because it makes me cooler in a way. LOL. Anyway, enjoy the chapter! BYYEEEEE!_

**Winter Sky**

The door creaked open yet again. I guess King really is getting me to go on that Denmark quest. Or…

I had enough time to create thoughts in my head that terrified me. I even lost the little hope I had a few times. What if all of that _was_ his new kind of torture? What if he told me all that to give me hope for an escape, but really, I never had a chance?

I had to stop thinking completely to not destroy myself through my mind. I focused on being hungry for the past day, no matter how much it hurt. I was for once happy to see the king stumble through the wooden door way.

I noticed that he had a key in his hand. This was legit wasn't it? He came in, turned on the light, and looked around the room, as I stood up. He was performing the usual routine, but instead of turning to me, and torturing me; he started to unlock the chains bound around me.

When the chains fell to the ground, I felt my wrist start to burn from the cold metal being on me for so long. I had had those chains on my whole life, and now I was finally – not completely- free.

Even though I was free, I still stood in front of him, wondering what to do now. He then grabbed me roughly by my shoulder, and started to pull me across the rough, concrete floor. I hadn't used my legs for walking in years. Just taking three steps, I was out of breath.

Though it was painful being dragged by a rough pair of hands across rock, I was excited that I was getting to finally leave by dreadful isolation. When we got out of the dark room that I had lived in my whole life, I didn't look back.

That Hell didn't even deserve a proper goodbye. I was ready for a new world, waiting out there for me. I only had a few things to do before I could have it forever.

King had to pick me up, because I was way too weak to walk up the steps, since I could barely even stand up for more than a minute. Turns out, I was underground my whole life, because in order to get out into the open air, he had to open up a door in the ceiling.

When he finally got us out of the stuffy dungeon like place, he threw me onto the hard ground. "Uggh," he shouted, slamming me down in disgust, "I hope I never have to hold a whore for that long ever again."

That didn't hurt. I brushed it off. Even he couldn't ruin what could possibly be one of the greatest moments of my life. I looked up to see blackness that was covered in little spots of light. This was so much more different than looking up in my dungeon.

This was in fact so much greater. There was a white/yellow spot that was larger than the others, and it sent rays of light down across this dark land.

I was interrupted from staring at the mass beauty of the outside, by King kicking me in my side, definitely leaving a bruise. I of course didn't cry out or scream. I wasn't allowed to. I realized that he probably wanted me to stand up and face him, so I did.

Standing up, I realized we were standing just a few yards away from a mass body of water. I never knew I was so close to it either. It looked so different from anything I had ever seen. I wanted to take a look at everything around me, and get to know this new world more.

I had plenty of time for that when I was done with this mission though. I have to execute it first, then I can adventure later.

I was thinking about these things, as I stared, nonchalantly, at King. I snapped back into the present again when he roughly threw things at me that looked like what he was wearing. I think they were called….cloths? Or… Clothes! That's right.

I guess he wanted me to put them on. I stared at him for a few seconds to see if he was going to give me permission. He nodded, and said, "Yes, put on the clothes. No one wants to be sailing with an unclothed whore on their boat."

Ignoring his last comment, I already started looking at the clothes. I didn't know what any of the items were called. Neither did I know where they went. I looked up at King begging with my eyes for him to help me.

He then helped me put on the clothes, while telling me the name of every item. By the time I was fully dressed, I knew I was wearing brown, dress pants, a white, button down shirt, a brown jacket, and white boots. Everything felt like it fit two sizes too small though

When King was done, he took a step back to look at my appearance. He said, "None of these fit you because my son is younger than you, and you are fat, but this will have to do."

I was fat? What was that? Probably just another name…

I may seem stupid, but I never actually got proper schooling. He taught me how to read, talk, and write just in case he needed me to do something like this mission. I only didn't know what a few things were. Such as clothes, the name of the massive body water next to us, what the huge thing that stretched over the land above me was, the name he just called me, or what was floating on the water, coming towards us.

This new world is so…well…new to me, and I can't wait to learn more.

King explained my mission once again, and told me the consequences of me not finishing this mission. I nodded, but still didn't speak. He told me not to speak to the crew, because his son shouldn't be known to talk to the commoners.

He told me that I had one month to come back with the Denmark prince. I wanted to ask him why the deadline changed from two weeks to one month, but he told me I still wasn't allowed to speak. Oh well… one month until freedom…

When he was done informing me about everything, he boarded me onto what he called, a ship. I had kind of gotten used to walking, but every step still left me breathless.

King told the people of the ship to send me down to a bottom room, and I was not to come out until we arrived in Denmark. I was sent immediately down to a room in the bottom of the ship, as he spoke about a few more things to the ship people.

I am mad that I haven't gotten to see light yet, and I was just shoved back into a dark space. How long was a trip to Denmark? Was it only a few hours? What if it took a month? What if it even took years?

I sat down on a soft, rectangular thing connected to the wooden wall. It had many layers of what looked like clothes, but covered the rectangle completely. I felt like I was just born, because of my lack of knowledge about things. I guess I was. I was seeing my world for the first time.

I waited in the dim lit, darkness, waiting for someone to at least tell me how long I was going to be stuck in here.

At almost perfect timing, the door to my room opened, and a man stepped in. He looked like he was some kind of leader because of his fancy clothes. If they were fancier then this Prince Emil's clothes, than he had to have some label of importance.

The man had blonde hair that hung down to his mossy, green eyes. He had large eyebrows that surprisingly suited his face well. He had a sly smile on his face, as he got closer to me. When he stopped in his tracks, he said, "I am not supposed to talk to you, but I am a damn pirate. I do whatever I want," he laughed.

His presence was warm and unsettling at the same time. What was a pirate? Should I ask, or was that something so obvious, he would get suspicious? When the silence between us started to get awkward, he spoke, "My name Arthur Kirkland. I am from England. I am only here to give you a ride, because I owe your dad a favor. Your name is Emil, right?"

At first, I was going to answer him, but I realized I wasn't allowed to talk until I met the prince of Denmark. I nodded him positively about the name, and kept my mouth shut.

Arthur smirked, and said, "That's right. Your father told me you were a mute. What made you choose to stop talking? I remember coming here a few years ago, and I spoke to you. You were a lot smaller then, too."

I don't remember ever meeting him. Oh wait… of course. Those are probably memories for Emil. I smiled, and nodded my head again, hoping he would leave. He understood my language, and said, "Well ok. If there is anything you need, just come up. I know your father said you should stay in here, but I think you should definitely experience the sea and the open air, since it is your first time."

He smiled at me as I smiled back, nervously, and left the room. Should I go up? Was it a trick set up by King? I laid back on the comfy rectangle, because I felt like it was calling me to sleep on it. I rested my head on a fluffy, smaller rectangle, and thought about what I should do.

That was when I noticed that my wrists were completely bruised and cut from the chains that were wrapped around me my whole life. I hope the imprints on my wrist will go away soon. I bravely touched one of the purple and red marks on my wrists, but quickly brought it away when they started to burn.

The chains were tight, but I didn't know they were that bad. I then took my boots off to look at my ankles, and they were the same way. My waist also had the same markings that burned at the slightest touch of anything. And I was just thinking that that was how clothes felt on skin…

I decided that maybe it would be more comfortable to sleep without the burning clothes on. No one was going to torture me. I was safe. I took everything off, and laid on top of the comfy rectangle again.

I was cold, but it burned to have anything over me. I wasn't as ready for a regular life as I thought I was. I thought that I could at least deal with the clothes, but they burned everywhere my chains once were.

I focused on the rocking back and forth of the ship, so I could go to sleep. Hopefully when I wake up, this won't be a dream. I don't want to ever go back in that dungeon again. I had lived too long in Hell that I am not used to Heaven. I hope it is not too late for me.

I am finally getting a taste of a new winter song. And this is a new winter song that I want never want to end.

~(*^_^*)~

I woke up to the sound of knocking on my door. I jolted up, because I wasn't used to it. I was going to call out to them, but I remembered I wasn't allowed to talk, so I lingered between opening the door and pretending I was asleep.

Finally coming to the conclusion that they'd probably come in after a while of knocking, I rushed to put my clothes on.

King only gave me one set of clothes which were super tight. He told me when I get to Denmark, I should take advantage of them, and use their clothes. Hopefully, they will have clothes that are actually my size.

When I was done putting clothes on, I ran to the door and opened it. Before me, there was a man who looked to be about the pirate's age. I think his name was… Arthur? This man had strawberry blonde hair, sky blue eyes, and was smiling non-stop.

I looked at him for a few seconds, wondering if he knew I wasn't allowed to talk. I was soon cut off by my thoughts, when he yelled, "Hi! My name is Alfred! You must be Emil. You met Arthur already. He is kind of uptight, but he is pretty cool once you get to know him!"

I stared at the man called Alfred, wide eyed. I have never heard anyone talk that fast before in my whole existence. Well… considering he was the third person I have actually heard, then it isn't very impressive.

He stared at me, waiting for me to say something again. I stared at him awkwardly, because I had no way to inform him that I wasn't going to be say anything any time soon.

He broke the silence quickly, when he said, "Ooh! Arthur sent me to invite you to breakfast with us! We normally have a crew of ten on this boat, but we are the only crew for this trip, so if you need anything, come to me or Arthur."

I stared at him again. I had no choice. I wanted to ask if I could go right now, because I was sick of being in this stuffy room already. I wanted to see the light for the first time in forever. I wanted to run freely around once I got the hang of my legs. I wanted to learn so many new things about this world.

Alfred then said, "And if you want to go to breakfast now, then follow me!"

I nodded my head, and he started to walk towards what was probably the room where they ate breakfast. I closed my door, and followed shortly behind him.

He was wearing a white button down shirt, that was not as near fancy as what I or Arthur had on. He had brown pants that tucked into his leather brown boots. He had suspenders that really didn't need to hold up his pants, so they were probably just for fashion. He had a brown coat on that didn't quite match, yet looked very comfortable.

I noticed these characteristics the whole way to the breakfast room. In the room we arrived in, there was a rectangle table that was used for writing letters. There were crates full of miscellaneous goods being held in this room, too. Some were holding food, some weapons, others had clothes and other random junk.

There was a big circular chair in the middle of the room that had two chairs sitting next to each other under it. I looked at them, as Alfred pulled up the chair that was sitting under the letter writing desk, and put it under the table across from the two chairs.

Alfred gestured me to sit in the chair, so I did. He went around the table, and sat in one of the two chairs. He then said, "Arthur should be here in a minute, so in the mean time we can just talk!"

He sounded like such an energetic person, it was hard for me to keep up with what he was saying. How did Arthur deal with this? I stared at him, and smiled faintly.

He took that as a sign to start talking again, and said, "So why are you going to Denmark? And for a whole month too! Are you going to visit the prince? You don't like talking do you? Oh I have an idea! How about we play a twenty questions yes or no game? Nod your head for yes, and shake your head for no!"

He showed me the gestures, and started to ask questions…

"Are you going to be meeting the prince in Denmark?"

*nod* I will answer these as truthfully as I can without giving away the plan.

"Cool! Do you like talking, or are you not allowed to talk? Yes for the first one, no for the second one."

I bravely shook my head for no.

"Did you get in trouble and that is why?"

I actually didn't know what I did wrong to deserve this life, so I shrugged.

"You don't know? Are you happy with your life?"

Right now, things were finally going my way, but my life had been a nightmare until now. I shook my head.

"Do you need help of any sort?" he asked, now getting worried.

I shook my head. Unless he was going to help me kill the prince of Denmark, then he couldn't help me.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "So, any girls back home? Any crushes?"

Alfred smiled a big grin, as if the wider he opened his mouth, the more information would spill out of me.

I shook my head. I had never actually met a girl. I have only heard about them.

"Awe man. I guess none of the lady Norwegians are your type? Have you ever left Norway before?"

I shook my head again. I was beginning to feel like he was going to give up on me because of the so many no's.

"Ah, so your first taste of adventure? How about this. We take a break on this whole interrogation thing, and hear a story about my first taste of adventure. Sound good?"

I nodded my head. It would be good to get the attention off of me. I really didn't feel like answering anymore of his questions.

When I finished nodding my head, Alfred took off in his 'amazing' story about his first adventure. He said,

"So I was about fifteen, which was three years ago. I had grown up in the newly founded colony of Virginia, America, with my mom and brother. My dad had to stay in Britain because of work, but he wanted me to visit him for my fifteenth birthday. It was pretty awesome, so of course I went. We were all aristocrats, so he let me ride on a private boat.

It was pretty smooth sailing for the first few days of traveling, but then, we came across a pirate ship. If I had known that we were going to be crossing paths with a pirate ship, I would never had gone. I am glad that I didn't know though, because the best thing that has ever happened to me happened after this.

The pirate of the pirate ship was very brave and very strong. He was also very hot, but I'll get to that later. *he smirked and continued* He ended up killing the whole crew on my ship single handedly before he saw me.

I was hiding behind some crates because I obviously can't be a hero without a weapon, so that was my only option. Well, his crew found me, and dragged me to him. I have to admit, I almost peed my pants. I just watched him kill seven people, and there was a big chance he was going to kill me!

They threw me to the ground before him, and I was literally shaking. He stared down at me, and he smiled, saying, 'so, you are the aristocrat?' I didn't know if I was allowed to speak or not, so I just nodded my head hastily. He then laughed, and said, 'you look strong enough… How would you like a life of adventure?'

I didn't want an adventure. I wanted a life of laying back and letting people do everything for me. Of course, I didn't really have a choice, so I had to accept this invitation to go with him.

On the boat, many things happened. Raging storms almost knocked over our ship, we lost crew members in a whirlpool, we raided ships and had battles, and so much more. And all of this was happening as I was falling in love with the captain of the pirates.

Do you know what his name was? *I nodded my head. I had a pretty good idea of who he was talking about*

His name was Arthur Kirkland! *I was correct* I fell in love with him, and turns out he returned the feelings for me. Ever since then, I have been on one amazing adventure with my Artie!"

Just then, the door opened, and someone walked in, saying, "What did I tell you about using that stupid nickname, Alfred?"

Alfred got up to hug Arthur as he walked in and said, "I remember you saying that you love my stupid nicknames, and you love me!"

Arthur dodged Alfred's hug, and said, "Please, Alfred, you make it sound like we are a couple."

Alfred laughed, and said, "Silly, that is because we-!"

"Alfred I need to talk to you!" Arthur yelled, covering Alfred's mouth with his hand. Alfred halted, waiting for Arthur to put his hand down.

He finally did, and turned to me, saying, "I need to talk to Alfred for just a moment. Please sit tight, and we will be back in five minutes."

I nodded my head, and watched them, as Arthur pushed Alfred into a room that connected to where I was. Well that was weird.

_A/N: How did you enjoy that chapter? I felt like it was kind of rushed, but I want Denmark to get into the story as soon as possible. The next chapter will come out Sunday. Sorry I posted this so late. The Wi-Fi where I am went out for a few days, but is back! Please Review and ask any questions you have about the story or the characters. Thank you!_


	3. Winter Sun

_Two weeks... whoops! Read the A/N at the bottom of the page when you are done with this chapter to know how sorry I am for the unexpected break! Enjoy :)_

**Winter Waters**

As I was waiting for the two to come back, I started to hear Arthur yelling. I couldn't quite depict the words I was hearing, but then I heard Alfred yelling back.

I turned to the door, and found it cracked open, so I could barely see the two fighting in the darkness of the room. I looked through the crack, and saw Alfred backed up against the wall as Arthur was yelling at him.

I managed to hear him say, "I know his father. He hates people like us. If he knew about us, he would kill us; especially since there is the threat of us rubbing off on his son."

Then Alfred retorted, "I am sorry. He isn't here though, so what is the problem?"

"You don't get it do you?" Arthur yelled, "Emil is probably going to tell his father. We… just… maybe we could find someone else in Denmark to bring him back. We just have to be careful, Alfred. I can't lose you."

"I know, I know," Alfred said, softly, now putting his hand up to Arthur's cheek, "I'm sorry. I just wasn't thinking… I love you, Artie."

He grabbed Arthur's waist with both of his hands, and pulled him closer, so the two's stomachs were touching. Arthur hummed, and said, "You always seem to know how to end an argument."

"I barely call this an argument, Arthur," Alfred said, brushing back his hair, "I call this a simple misunderstanding that I get to clear up right away."

"Oh really?" Arthur said, smiling as Alfred swayed them back and forth, "And how will you do that?"

"With this!" Alfred said, and pulled Arthur in for a kiss. That was when I turned around. Should I be watching this? What are they even doing? Well… I mean, I know what they are doing. When King was drunk he would do it to me.

I always hated this action. Why were they enjoying it?

I looked back at them, and they were still engaged in a kiss. Both had their arms wrapped around each other, and their legs were starting to entwine. I looked away again.

I have to ask them what is so enjoyable about kisses. They are sick, disgusting, humiliating, abusive, and so much more terrible things. I wish I was allowed to talk to them. I have so many questions…

Afraid to look back, I laid my head down on the table, so I could wait for them to… finish. I then heard Arthur say, "Let's go back to Emil. He might come in here if he has to wait any longer."

"Finish this later?" Alfred said, as the two started to walk towards the door. I heard no response except for a small mumble. Then the door slowly opened completely.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Arthur said, sitting down, as I lifted my head, "I just needed to talk to Alfred about… the route to Denmark. It is smooth sailing, and we will only take less than a day to get there, by the way."

I smiled because I knew that wasn't what they were talking about, and I was also happy to hear that I only had less than two days to stay quiet.

Alfred sat down next to Arthur, and said, "Even though this dude is practically a mute, he is pretty interesting."

Arthur looked at me, then back at Alfred, and said, "How do you know that he is interesting if he hasn't said anything?"

"Twenty questions, man!" Alfred said, resting his arm on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur shrugged it off, and said, "Ah. Another stupid game you came up with?"

I looked at the two, wondering how they actually liked each other. Alfred seemed like the type that liked people that were optimistic, yet here he was, liking someone who clearly wasn't a happy-go-lucky kind of person. I guess they were still a cute couple, the way they bickered.

As I was thinking, I didn't notice that the two were staring back at me. I was snapped out of my thoughts when Alfred yelled, "Back to earth, dude! Are you tired?" He started to laugh, as I just stared at them with my "signature" poker face.

Arthur leaned forward again, and said, "What is on your mind?" I just shook my head, because I couldn't do anything else. "What questions have you asked Emil?" Arthur asked Alfred, as he still fixed his eyes on me.

"Nothing really. I just know now that his father says he can't talk," Alfred said, also starting to stare at me. Arthur said out loud to himself, "That's weird… He told me that Emil was a mute by choice," he then turned to me, and asked, "Do you want to talk?"

I nodded my head honestly. I was dying to hear what my voice sounding like, and I don't think I could wait another day.

"Then you should talk!" Alfred said, practically knocking his chair over, as he excitedly stood up. Arthur patted his shoulder, as a way of sneakily pushing him back down in his seat.

Alfred obediently sat down in his chair, as Arthur said, "What Alfred means is you are with us now. Not your dad. We don't mind if you talk around us, and we will not tell him."

I curled my hand up into a fist trying to contain my excitement of being able to talk for the first time. I could feel the excitement start to ball up in my body, even though the feeling never reached my face. I felt like I could trust the two. And if the time came, I have something that they want to keep a secret too.

I stared at them for a few seconds, wondering what my first words should be. Both of them stared intently at me, probably waiting for my first words, too.

First words don't matter that much, I guess. Really, the last words are what matter the most…

I decided to go with something simple, and said, "Thank-! Whoa…my voice…"

"It's so low! Do all Scandinavians have low voices like that?" Alfred exclaimed, asking both me and Arthur.

"Obviously not, stupid. That is like asking if all Americans have an obnoxious personality like you," Arthur answered, still staring at me. "You could have answered a little nicer," Alfred pouted. He seemed like some sort of man child.

I was too busy thinking about how I had such a deep voice. The voice in my head was always a kid voice. It was one that I used to talk to before-. "Are you ok?" Arthur asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I was about to shake my head, but I realized I could talk now. I didn't want to hear my voice though, either. My mind started to go in so many places at once, so I just got up, and ran out of there to my room.

I am not ready for this new world.

~(*^_^*)~

I had been lying in bed for who knows how long.

I had only taken my shirt off this time, because I deserved the pain in my ankles at least. I disobeyed the King. He would have done much worse to me if he was here now, so I at least deserved this.

I stared at my wrists, as I noticed that they were not improving at all. The bruising around them was not the best sight to look at, but at least it got my mind off things.

The voice in my head had changed to a deeper, older one now. I can't say that I miss the kid voice, but I feel like I lost something very important. I just don't know how important it was.

Footsteps started to walk up to my door until a few knocks sounded against it. "Prince Emil?" a voice that sounded like Alfred's called out.

I groaned, and got up from my bed. I still wasn't used to talking, so I wanted to keep my answers short and simple. "Yes?" I answered, as I put my shirt on again. There was a 100% chance, I was going to have to get out of this room, and I wanted to have my shirt on while doing so.

"We are now in Denmark," he replied, "Arthur wants you to come up, so he can inform you about a few unimportant things before we arrive to the ports."

Already? How long had I been lying in this room?

"Ya, just wait one second," I said, as I buttoned up my shirt. I tried to hold in a gasp from the pain of the shirt rubbing against my bruised outlines.

I quickly ran up to the door to open it. The quicker, I got this over with, the sooner I could be relieved of the pain.

I opened the door to see Alfred leaning against the outer door frame. He smiled, and said, "Follow me!"

He turned around, as I quickly shut the door behind us, and followed him. "Where are we going?" I asked, as we made our way through dark hallways, eventually coming upon a staircase that led upwards. I coughed shortly after my question, because I still wasn't used to my voice.

"You know," Alfred laughed, "For a guy who seems very interested in learning things, you ask questions so nonchalantly! Have you always been like that, or-?"

"I have never spoken before in my life," I interrupted him, "What does 'nonchalantly' mean anyway?"

He stared at me, mouth wide open. "Danget! Artie was right…." he said to himself.

"What was Arthur right about?" I asked, when he had paused long enough for my question to not be a rude interruption.

He answered, "Oh nothing! I uh… nonchalantly means, no emotion or enthusiasm…."

"Oh," was all I could manage to say. That was why King hated me. He told me I was obviously the spawn of Satan because of my lack of emotions. The fact that I never cried, or the fact that I never smiled or got angry. But he was wrong. I was just afraid to show emotions. I even got good at covering up my fear. Over the years, I fear that I got too good, that I refrained from even feeling emotion at all.

What if Alfred and Arthur were starting to hate me for the same reason? What if I won't be able to get through to this prince of Denmark because he will be afraid of my emotionless personality?

I wiped the thoughts from my head, as we ascended up the stairs. Everything was quiet until Alfred opened the doors with a push of both his hands.

Immediately, there was brightness filling in every corner of my eyesight.

This light. Was this? "The sun?" I said, out loud.

I stared straight up at what was a darker version the first time I saw it. The light started to hurt my eyes, but I didn't care. I stepped out into the open air, taking in a deep breath, as I did so.

My eyes started to water until there were tears streaming down my cheeks. I had cried so many times before this, but never because I was happy. What was this feeling? What was this amazing feeling that I was suddenly getting to experience in my heart and mind?

I stared at the sun for a long while, because it was the first time I had seen the magnificent source of light. I closed my eyes, because the light was getting to be unbearable – it was still the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my whole life though – I laid down, and soaked in all this glorious light's warmth.

Then, I felt a shadow looking over me, so I looked up. Arthur and Alfred were standing above me, looking down, and smiling. Arthur looked to Alfred, and laughed a little under his breath.

He then lent a hand down to me. I took it, as he helped me up from the ground.

"Sorry for that display," I apologized, even though I didn't mean a word of it.

Alfred laughed, and said, "We don't care! We love that you are happy!"

I stared at the two, about to say something, but a sight behind them made me forget about everything completely. A whole land of buildings and trees covered completely in snow was behind them.

I tugged my jacket tighter around myself, because the wind started to pick up. The hair that hung low around my eyes started to blow in my face, which was pretty annoying. But none of that mattered, since the land before me was so beautiful. So close.

Alfred and Arthur stared at me, as I stared out at the land. Alfred came up to me, putting his arm around my shoulder, and said, "Before you is your first taste of freedom!"

I flinched when he said it in my ear, because he had such an enthusiastically loud voice. How could someone be so happy and loud all the time? Well… I guess I have only known him for a day.

"And we will be there to help you every step of the way, if you need it," Arthur added, as I turned around to the both of them. "You mean, you aren't leaving me behind?" I asked without thinking. I covered my mouth as soon as I said those words.

Arthur had said that to Alfred when they were having their "private" conversation that I wasn't supposed to be eaves dropping on. Arthur's eyes widened slightly as he registered what I said.

Alfred looked completely un-phased, but after only knowing him a day, I expected that from him. Arthur stuttered for a moment, before actually getting his words out. I knew this wasn't going to end well…

I started to think Arthur wasn't going to speak after all, so I started to say, "I-I didn't me-," but was interrupted by him, "Just stop. You…know…don't you?"

Almost immediately, I knew what he was talking about. I nodded my head, almost out of shame.

Half of me was expected Arthur to lash out at me like the King would. Half of me was expecting him to just walk away, and never come back. What he really did though, I was never expecting.

He sighed, and said, "You're not really Emil, are you?"

What? Was I that bad at acting like a prince? How was I even supposed to respond to this?

'How did you know?'

'Nope! My name is actually Lukas.'

I could have at least responded with a simple 'No' for the truth. I really didn't want to lie to them, but I knew this wouldn't end well at all. So instead, I stayed silent.

Arthur took my silence as proof that I was indeed not Emil, so he breathed out, "Oh, thank God."

"What?" I barely said, as I lifted my head at him.

He looked at me, and smiled, "You… saw me and Alfred, right?"

"Yes?" I muttered the question.

"Well, if you were Emil, we'd be dead men walking. This is because Emil is, oh how do you say it, very loyal to his father. He tells his father everything, and if his father knew about this, then he'd have our heads the moment we washed up on his shore," Arthur explained.

"Why?" I asked, getting interested in why the King hated these two friendly guys.

Alfred cut in this time, and said, "Because the King is homophobic, I guess you could say. He despises same gender relationships for some odd reason."

I nodded my head. I didn't know what homophobic was, or what the big deal about a guy liking another guy was.

"You look confused," Arthur said though, yet again reading my mind, "Do you… even know what homophobic is?"

I shook my head. Was I that obvious?

Arthur laughed a little, and explained, "Homophobic means that you can't stand Alfred and my kind of relationship. Apparently to the King of Norway, it is a crime to do be like us, so he kills everyone who is."

I could feel my eyes widen as my expression changed in horror. I didn't want Alfred or Arthur to die. They were my… "What do you call people who are nice to you, and you want to be around them?" I asked, trying to find the words that would complete my thought.

"Friends?" Alfred asked, confused. Arthur shoved him, and did something with his eyes that made Alfred look like he understood me now. It was almost like they had a conversation without words. It would be fun to have a relationship with someone like that.

Friends…. So they were my friends? I know one thing is for sure. I have to protect my friends. "I will keep it a secret. Just… don't leave me. Please."

They smiled, and nodded their head at me. Arthur directed his attention back to the wheel of the ship, and safely sailed us into the harbor.

I looked out at the view of the land again, and saw something on the shore of Denmark. A man was waiting on the snow covered land that we were sailing to.

He was tall, had spikey blonde hair topped with a black hat. He wore a red shirt, a long black trench coat, and black pants with black boots. Everything about him felt… so…. I don't know enough words to describe him yet, but something made me want to know more about him.

He smiled a big smile at me, when he saw me looking his way. Quickly, I turned back around to Alfred, who was right behind me. He whispered to me, "Looks like the Prince of Denmark is excited to see you!"

What? That was the prince of Denmark? Soon to be king, prince of Denmark? But he was my age. "The Prince of Denmark?" I gasped, as I turned to see him again.

He was now waving almost annoyingly in my direction. I didn't know exactly how to feel about all this, but I know one thing is for sure. I am excited. I am excited for freedom, learning, friends, surprisingly right now, the prince of Denmark, and so much more. The only downfall is, I am afraid I might ended up befriending this immensely obnoxious looking guy.

The last thing I want to do is kill or betray a friend. I had just started making those. One thing is for certain. I cannot get close enough to this guy to feel enough feelings for him to be my friend. I am going to get through this, and I am going to find my Winter Song. The only thing standing in my way is him.

_Hello! This is probably the worst chapter in the series just because of how rushed it was, but I want Matthias/Denmark in it! The Dennor fanfic actually needs to have Dennor in it, you know? So, many apologies for this terrible chapter. I am also very sorry for the two week break I went on. The last weeks have been busy, and the next to weeks are going to be busy too. I will probably post next week, but I have finals, so I cannot promise. _

_The good news is, summer is two weeks away for me, so you guys can be sure I will be posting at the right times! Thank you so much for staying with me, and please stay a little longer to enjoy the upcoming Dennor fic. Please review because that is practically all that I look forward to on here, and have a nice day! Thank you!_

_NorwegianPilot17 ~_


	4. Winter Sovereign

**Winter Prince**

It was a short process to get off the boat, and onto the dock where the Prince of Denmark waited. I kept glancing back at Alfred and Arthur as they kept pushing me to go on and meet him. Why was I getting so nervous around this Prince?

I kept making mental notes, as I walked to the smiling man that looked no older than I was.

Ok… Act like a prince. Emil, I guess, is very loyal to King. I don't see why, but I guess I shouldn't judge it until I meet him. Emil is apparently two years younger than me, so I should act like a fifteen year old.

How do fifteen year olds act, exactly?

I pondered the question around in my mind for so long, that I didn't even notice I was just one step away from the Prince of Denmark. The thing that awoke me from my thoughts, was his enthusiastic voice, shouting, "He-llo Nor-we-gian! It – Is – Nice – To – meet – you!"

I stared at him for a second, trying to process why he was talking like that. Was this how all Danish people talked? I then felt a hand on my shoulder, as Arthur stood behind me, saying, "Norwegians are not from an entirely different universe, you know. He is human, so speak to him that way."

I looked up at Arthur as a silent thank you, but also with a confused look, but turned back around when the Dane said, "Oh! Sorry, I guess I am just too excited. You are the first Norwegian I have ever met! Am I your first Dane?"

He was talking almost too loud and too fast for me to process everything as he spoke. Unsure of what he actually asked, I just slowly replied, "Yes…"

"Great!" he shouted, slapping me on the back. This gesture pushed me forward, causing me to stumble onto his chest. I quickly got my composure back though, and stepped one step farther back than where I originally was.

"Don't be scared… uh… What's your name again?" he said, coming closer to me. I looked behind me to see if I could step back just a little more, but sadly I was on the edge of the dock.

The liquid below looked like water, but I wasn't sure. It was darker, and it could be poisonous. I don't want to risk falling into there. Of course… I will if this stupid Dane keeps stepping closer to me.

I looked to Arthur to see if it was ok to say my name. I guess it probably was if this guy was asking, but I wanted to make sure this wasn't a test. Arthur noticed my unsureness of if I should answer the question, so he gave me a quick nod.

I turned back to the prince who was staring expectantly in my face, and said, "…Emil. Prince Emil."

The prince's smile faded for a moment. He stepped back, and put his hand up to his chin, as he thought for a moment. "W-what?" I asked, wondering if I had said something wrong. It could have been possible. What if there was some secret code for princes when introducing each other?

He only looked back at me again, and stared at me for a long minute. After what seemed like forever, he said, "You don't really look like an Emil."

I let out a breath, I didn't know I was holding in. But wait. "I don't look like an Emil? What do I look like?" I asked, unsure of what he even meant by that statement. He then smiled, and said, "I am not sure. I'll have to think about it. It's just… My name is Matthias by the way!"

And he changed the subject… Oh well. He is the prince of this land. Might as well do what he wants, I guess. "Nice to meet you," I said, not really wanting to have a longer conversation with him. I have made the decision that I do not want to become real friends with him.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing either. I won't get attached to him, and it will be easier to lead him to his doom… I sound really sadistic, but I am only stating what has to be done, and what is the easiest way for it to happen.

Prince Matthias started to laugh, as I stared back at Arthur with pleading eyes for him to help me. But, Arthur had already gone back to the boat, and started to help Alfred get it tied to the dock.

I closed my eyes, and cursed under my breath at how much I hated the situation I was in right now. Right after the third cuss word silently flew from my mouth, I felt a hand grip my wrist, and start pulling me down the dock, and farther away from the boat.

Before I could even guess who had grabbed my wrist – though there was a one hundred percent chance it was Prince Matthias – I screamed out from the pain of him grabbing the injured part of my wrist, and pulled away.

Only out of reaction though, I ran away from him. I felt like I was back in the dungeon, feeling pain all over again. Like this was a dream, and I was about to wake up from it. Tears were threatening to fall from my eyes, but I managed to keep it together, as I ran to Arthur who was already coming to me to see what happened.

"Emil what happened?" he said, as he put his hands comfortably on my shoulders, and glared at Matthias who was standing still with a poker face as his expression. "I-I-"Tears were about to fall.

Keep it together!

I just wanted to cry, but I couldn't. I couldn't because it was too much. After all these years of being tortured and keeping it together; I wasn't going to cry over something so stupid.

"I'm fine," I said, finally setting my emotions back to what they were. Back to absolutely nothing. Arthur stared into my eyes for a few seconds, then down at my wrists where he had seen Denmark grabbed.

Before I could protest, he pulled my sleeve up to reveal the black and red bruises on my wrist. As he stared wide eyed at it, he whispered, "You…." He then stared at my other wrist, and pulled the sleeve up to find that I had the exact same bruise on it.

"Did he… Did the King do this?" he whispered to me, quickly pulling my sleeves down again, so Prince Matthias couldn't see the bruises. I looked behind me to see if Matthias had gotten close enough to hear.

Thankfully, he was still staring at us, confused, from a far enough distance. I turned back to Arthur, and said, "Yes, b-but, I don't know what I did. I promise. I'm not bad. I-I I'm not bad…"

Arthur closed his eyes, processing my information, and nodded. He then said, "Ok. I believe you," he sighed, "I do want to hear the full story later though, ok?"

I nodded, smiling just a little, at the fact he believed me. Someone actually trusting me for once was an amazing feeling. Arthur smiled when he saw my reaction, and said, "Great. Now, Emil or… I would like to know your real name later," he whispered, "There is a prince waiting for you at the end of that dock. Go have fun, ok? Alfred and I will be back here if you need anything. We will be there for you ok?"

"Ok," I whispered, starting to step back from Arthur, and towards the now again smiling Dane.

Just as I was about to turn, Alfred appeared from on top of the boat, and said, "Chase that adventure Emil! See you soon!"

I waved to him and turned around again to face Matthias again. Matthias stared at me for a second, the silence between us being awkward. He then broke it by saying, "I didn't do anything wrong did I?"

Well obviously. But… maybe it would be better if I said that it was nothing. "No. You are fine. I just needed to say goodbye to Arthur and Alfred," I replied, as we both walked off the dock. "Oh are they your friends?" Matthias asked, sounding a bit confused.

I thought about how I had recently learned that word, and what it meant. "Yes," I said, as we started to walk on the beach, heading towards the woods. I couldn't keep myself from asking, "Is there something wrong with that?" I mentally kicked myself for talking more than I had to.

Prince Matthias didn't seem to mind though. He replied, "No there isn't. It's just… my father, the King," I shuddered at the word, "Doesn't like it when I talk to the "commoners". I don't even know what he would do if he saw me disobey him."

The way he opened up to me was new. Everyone seemed to open up to me the moment we just met. The way he acted and opened up, reminded me of Alfred when we first met.

As we entered the woods, I asked, "So you talk to the common people anyway?"

He laughed, and stared down at me, as we both walked, "Definitely," his smile made my heart warm up and start beating faster, "When I become king… Things are going to be different. I want a good King/citizen relationship in Denmark."

"That is good," I said, not being able to think of anything else. It was impressive how he did care about those things. I wonder why his father didn't like this idea so much, though…

We walked in silence for a few seconds, as we started to come to a clearing in the woods that showed a cobblestone path. As we came upon it, I saw that it led straight to a huge structure that was nothing like anything I had ever seen before.

"Whoa," I whispered, accidentally letting the word escape my breath. Denmark laughed, and said, "You like it? You should see it when it snows. It looks even more amazing."

He started to stare up at it with me. I started to walk along the path – still staring up at the structure – as he walked alongside me. I started to walk faster because this Emil's jacket was not good against the cold, really.

As I started to pick up my pace, I felt a warm hand wrap around mine, causing my face to go red. Only because of reflex, I swung around, and punch whoever the owner of the hand was, in the shoulder. A grunt, then a laugh came from none other than Prince Matthias.

And he was still holding on to my hand. "What are you doing?" I asked, turning away to hide my blush. The castle was getting closer at least. Maybe I could run inside, and lock him out – wait… I can't lock him out of his own home. Dammit…

Prince Matthias kept laughing though, but finally answered, "You looked cold. Your jacket doesn't look like the warmest jacket in the world you know. In fact, it looks about four sizes too small."

"Well your trench coat looks like it is four sizes too _big_," I retorted, huffing as I turned away from him. He only laughed again though. It was going to be harder than I thought to get along with him.

I started to dig my nails into his hand to tear away from him. He ended up screeching out of his laugh, and into painful fit, as he pulled away from me. I laughed a little under my breath. If only it was this easy with the King.

"Your so mean, Norgey~" he said, as he held his hand that wasn't even bleeding, so he was definitely over reacting. I turned around to the one word that caught me off guard

Norgey

What kind of thing is that to call me? "Norgey?" I repeated, turning to him, frowning. He then turned his attention to me, and away from his hand, and said, "Ya! You called me Dane when we first met, so I want to call you Norge or Norgey!" his smile beaming on his face, again.

I rolled my eyes, and turned back to the castle, only to hide a smile that was tugging at the corners of my lips. "It's stupid," I mumbled loud enough for him to hear.

But to be honest, I liked it better than Emil. I wasn't too fond of being called a name that wasn't mine. Sure, 'Norgey' wasn't, but at least someone gave it to me, and it wasn't a lie.

I was snapped out of my thoughts, when I heard the loud sound of a huge metal door open. I hadn't even realized how close we were to the castle! At the moment, Matthias and I were walking through a dead garden (due to the weather), on our way to the grand entrance of the castle.

What looked like a guard at the gate stood next to a man that looked both taller and stronger than Prince Matthias. He stood next to the door, as the guard opened the door for me and Matthias. "Hey Ber!" I heard Matthias shout behind me, and before I knew it, he and the tall man were embraced in a one sided hug.

The man pushed Matthias off of him, and said, "How many times do I have to tell you Matthias… My name is Berwald. Especially in front of other princes." They then both directed their attention to me.

The – I'm guessing is a prince – Berwald was glaring at me, while Matthias smiled to me. "This is Prince Emil of Norway!" Matthias said, as he walked over to me, and wrapped his arm around me.

I shoved my elbow into his rib, for him to get away from me. He was too clingy for my liking. Prince Berwald laughed at my actions, and said to me, "I see you don't like his way of affection, either. Don't worry… you'll get used to it after a while."

I noticed that he wasn't frowning, but he wasn't smiling either. He almost had the same plain expression that was on my face. I nodded once to answer him, and he turned around to walk inside the castle.

Denmark turned to me, and asked, "You don't like my way of affection, Norge?" I looked up to his eyes, to almost immediately regret the last action. He looked like he was about to cry, as he stared straight back into my eyes.

"Um, Uh, Um…." I stuttered, "No." I managed to get a hold of myself. I then frowned at him, and looked at him almost like I was destroying his adorable eyes with mine. Then it hit me. I just thought his eyes were adorable.

What was wrong with me?

I shook it off. This is not the time to think about such a stupid thing like feelings. I was about to go off after Berwald because he seemed pretty normal, but Matthias grabbed my wrist, and turned me around to face him.

"Hey what are you-!" I protested, but was cut off by him wrapping his arms around me, enveloping me in a near bone crushing hug. I immediately tried to escape his grip. What was with royalty and giving people affection when they don't want it?

I screamed for him to let go. He was making me feel like I was back at home again. I was going to have no problems killing him. He was just the center of bad memories being brought back to me. The imprint of the chains that went around my lower back, started to burn and hurt from the pressure of his strong arms.

When he still didn't let me go, I resorted to punching him in the face. If his father asked, I don't know what I would say, but I am sure Arthur or Alfred will come and help me explain. I had never done this action before, but the King did it all the time to me. It was enough for me to learn how to correctly punch – and where it hurt most-.

He let me fall to the ground as he reached for his face. I fell right in front of him, but started to scoot back, as he started to recover from the punch. Maybe I shouldn't have taken those actions… He is a prince and he could have me killed.

I had to think fast, but I wasn't fast enough. He already recovered from the punch, and he stared down at me, shadow covering his face. I was expecting him to kick me, or punch me back, or just torture me for what I had done.

But instead… he started to laugh. Why was this guy laughing? In between desperate breaths for air, he said, "Wow! For a little guy like you, you sure have a strong punch! That actually really hurt…"

"Please stop," I demanded, so confused with this whole situation. I reached up to the part of my stomach that was bruised from the chains, because it was still hurting from the hug. He stopped laughing, and for once looked at me with a serious expression.

"What is wrong?" he asked, kneeling down next to me. I couldn't do this. I was only half an hour in to this mission, and I was already on the verge of tears, wanting to tell him everything. I can't though.

I looked up at the sky, and blinked a few times. I couldn't cry. Now was not the time. When I felt like it was safe enough to talk, I replied, "I don't like affection. If you want to get along with me, then please refrain from touching me in any way."

I started to get up, leaving him surprised on the cold ground. I felt kind of bad for him, but I couldn't risk him hurting me, and finding out about the chains, then my past. He started to stutter a response, but failed every attempt.

I finally and successful walked through the open entrance to the castle. When I walked in… I immediately wanted to walk out. In fact, that is what I did. I turned around to see if I could find Prince Matthias again.

I preferred him over what was in there, to be honest. Matthias was starting to get up when he noticed that I was *reluctantly and embarrassingly* back. "Awe you came back for me!" he said, patting off his pants, as he straightened up.

He was a considerable size taller than me, so I straightened up to seem somewhat intimidating to him. "I would like you to tell me what is going on in your castle," I said, simply. His face immediately grew darker when I asked him that question though.

He looked almost as if he was angry. "What is it?" I asked him, afraid I might have said something that could have ruined this whole plan. "My… dad," he sighed, "He is throwing a party isn't he?"

What is a party? I should probably know this…. I started to reply, "Well I don't know what a-," but I was cut off by a drunken voice that said, "Matthias? Son? Close the door, it is getting hot in here."

I turned around to see where the voice was coming from, and a man that looked about the same age as my king was standing in the door way. I heard Matthias say from behind me, "Dad, it is in the middle of winter. We also have an important guest, so I would prefer you not to get drunk."

"Ah!" Matthias'…. Dad was it? Said, "Emil, right? Come in, Come in! This party is for you!" I looked in the room behind him to see if I could find Berwald. He seemed nice enough to save me from this situation.

If the commotion in that room was a party, then I never wanted to go to a party ever. There were drunk men everywhere, beer barrels being thrown about, plates crashing to the floor, people fighting with what looked like a long dagger, and much more terrible things. There were a group of people whom I didn't recognize. They didn't look like men, so could they have possibly been women? They looked like they were flirting with the women, and AGAIN WITH THE KISSING. It was disgusting! Why did people do that?

I was interrupted by my thoughts, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Sorry dad, but I am going to show Emil to his room first. We will come down later, ok?" I turned around to see it was Matthias. Who else could it have been anyway?

Matthias gave me a soft smile, and gesture me into the commotion of people. His dad went back into the crowd without another word. I looked up to Matthias. He wasn't smile like he was when we were alone. I will have to ask him why. For some reason – even though his smile annoyed me – it didn't feel right having him frown.

He directed me up some stairs, and walked me down a dark hallway that was lit dimly by some torches. "Your room is just this way," he said, opening a wooden door slightly, "It is probably smaller than your usual room, but it is right next to my room in case of any trouble, ok?"

I nodded my head, and turned to look at the room. This… was considered a small bedroom?

**_A/N: Hey guys! I am not dead! This is a crappy chapter that I may come back and edit in the future, but here you guys go for now! Sooooo as some of you may know. Norway's birthday is May 17. And as some of you may also know, Norway and I have the same birthday! So I will probably post the next chapter on May 17 as a celebration of Norway's birthday (May 17_****_th_****_ is this Sunday) _**

**_Anyhoo, please review, because I absolutely love all of you guys' reviews and have a nice day!_**


	5. Winter Solicitude

**_A/N: Hey guys! I know it is not Sunday like I promised… but a lot of stuff went on last week and this weekend with finals and my birthday ^-^ _**

**_I loved all the reviews I got for the last chapter! It made my day that some of you wished me a happy birthday! You guys are so nice and supporting, and I wanted to ask you if you guys are ok with my saying your names in the A/N's as a thank you. When authors thank me on their story for reviewing, I sometimes feel awkward (because I am socially awkward), so I wanted to have you guys' consent first! So anyways, thank you for the reviews, and keep it up! I look forward to them every time. So, on ward with the story, right?!_**

_Winter Solicitude_

I looked back at Matthias, who was smiling widely as he leaned back on the door frame and stared at me. "This is just for me?" I asked, look back and forth between the room and him, once more. He looked confused for a second, then replied, "Well of course. You mean… this room is actually big to you?"

"Uh," I thought about what I should say. If he was acting like this about this room, then he should see the room I had been living in my whole life. Or maybe not… I don't know, I feel like it would be embarrassing for him to see the way I have lived.

I finally answered, "No. This room is actually very small. I was wondering if it was just for me, or there was another room to suit my needs… but I guess this will do." I have no idea what I'm saying. I sound rude, snooty, ungrateful, and – oh my gosh… I sound like royalty. Well, at least I know I am playing the part well, now.

Turning around and away from him, I took another glance at the room. I tried to hide my amazement of the furniture and the fire place and the beautiful comfort square that I am supposed to sleep on.

"Um," Matthias said from behind me, "The bed is a little uncomfortable, I have to admit. It has silk sheets. Very beautiful, but very… unbearable. My bed is has fur and wool sheets! Not exactly the finest described material, I know, but very comfy! So you can take my room if you want!"

"Bed?" I immediately asked, still keeping his words in the back of my mind for when I actually knew what he was talking about. "Umm ya! Do you Norwegians call it something different?" he asked, leaning against the comfy square, which I am guessing now is a bed.

He bounced off the bed, and started to walk towards me, saying, "You know, Emil, I love how our land is so close, but our culture is so different. Could you tell me more?" He started to get closer. Too close. He reached his hand up to my shoulder, and brushed it down my arm.

I flinched at the touch, but didn't move away from my ground. "Yes, but stop touching me," I said, simply. I didn't know much about Norwegian culture, but I could probably make up stuff, right?

Matthias immediately stopped touching me, and raised both his hands in the air. "Yay!" he exclaimed as he jumped up and down. I backed away a little, as he started to move around excitedly around the room.

He then grabbed my hand, and started to pull me out of the bedroom. "What are you-," I started to ask, but he cut me off, and yelled, "We are going to talk about _your_ culture in _my_ room! Your bed is way too uncomfortable to sit on, so we are going to use mine!"

"Ok…" I murmured, as he dragged me to his bedroom, which was right next door. Happy thoughts, Lukas….. Happy thoughts…

His room was way bigger than the bedroom that was temporarily mine. He had a chandelier with candles every two inches attached to it, hanging from the center of the ceiling. His bed was about two times the size of mine, and was right next to not one, but two fire places. Why did he need two fire places?

Right next to and above the fireplace was a collection of what looked like axes and more long daggers. He had a fuzzy, brown rug that had the head of an animal attached to it on the floor. That particular piece in his room kind of frightened me, but everything about royalty scared me, so I brushed it off.

"Whoa." I whispered under my breath. "Hello Emil! I welcome you to my fantastic Viking room! Isn't it amazing?" Matthias yelled out, opening his arms wide to showcase his room.

I nodded my head to answer his question, as I still explored the room. Matthias then gestured me to his bed, where me both sat down on it. "So," he said, leaning back into his pillows, "What can you tell me that is amazing about your country?"

There were really only two things I knew about Norway. The ancient magic lore and some of the history. If things came down to it, I could always make up a story about Norway. Prince Matthias seemed to be too much of an idiot to actually find faults or be able to find out later.

"Well," I said, thinking about what I should start off with, "I guess I could tell you about our mythology and magic."

"Really?" Matthias gasped, blue eyes lighting up, all the while they made my heart burst.

"Um, yes" I said, trying to emotionally make my blush go away, "Why would I say it if it wasn't true, stupid Dane."

Prince Matthias laughed at my name calling, and stayed quiet, as he gestured for me to go on. I shifted on the bed a little more, then said, "First off, the mythology in Norway isn't very different from yours. We believe in Thor, the god of thunder, and many other famous gods…"

I continued on telling him about my favorite mythology stories. He even added on to some of them. There was so much that the King never told me about mythology, that Matthias taught me. For once, Matthias was acting mature (somewhat at least) and we were having a real conversation.

When we finished talking about our little differences and many similarities in culture, I was seeing the moon for the second time outside his window. "Wow, it got late pretty fast!" he said, as he laid back on his pillows, and sighed happily.

"Oh, well… I guess I am off then," I said awkwardly, as I slid off his bed. I was very tired from all the events that happened in the past few days. Before I could get away from the bed and start walking to my room, Matthias grabbed my hand, and said, "Wait!"

I turned to him, "What?"

"Uh, well," he hesitated, "You! You… I didn't see you bring anything off the boat, clothes wise at least… Did you bring anything at all?"

This was when the words, 'rely on the royalty for clothes and other supplies' appeared in the front of my mind, again. Those words were spoken by the king. This was the plan, but it all made me feel a new feeling I haven't felt before.

This feeling made my heart stop for a few seconds at first, but eventually started working again. My whole body felt like a source of coldness, though my cheeks were heated up. I felt like I wanted to crawl in a hole or just laugh about this whole situation.

"Emil?" I heard Matthias say, causing me to leave my thoughts. "Hmm? Oh. No I did not bring anything. Uh, another thing in Norwegian culture is to not bring anything on trips, because… the host should give us everything we want and need," I answered.

This wasn't actually true about Norway. Or maybe it was… The point is, I just made something up to cover for myself, and hopefully this guy is stupid enough to believe it. On the bright side, though; the feeling that was spread throughout my body is gone now thanks to that statement.

Matthias thought about my words for a second, then said, "Oh! Well I guess that makes sense! I wasn't exactly prepared for this, so I do not have anything in your size for night clothes, but you can borrow my clothes for tonight!"

"What? Oh no, that's fine. I can just sleep in this-,"

"Please! It is my pleasure! Plus, things are kind of weird between our two countries, so I don't want to do anything that will upset your culture."

Now the feeling of guilt was spreading through me. Ugh! – And I just got rid of that other sickening feeling, too…

Well I guess there is no going back, now. Might as well lie to the end, right? Freedom is worth it… I took a deep breath, and said, "I suppose I could deal with it for one night. Plus… what do you mean 'things are kind of weird between our two countries'?"

He shifted himself, and held his hand in mine. I tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong, and I didn't want to risk my sleeve being pulled up. He sighed, "I don't know. I just know that our father's hate each other. It started a long time ago, and nobody really knows the real reason why they actually hate each other. But… things spread throughout our land, and for some odd reason, the Danish just don't like the Norwegians. Vice versa, too. How did you not know this? I thought that the reason you didn't like me was because of our countries' hatred."

Our countries hated each other? Well now it makes since of why the King wants to kill Matthias now. I must ask him though, "You thought I hated you?" "Well, ya. You just seem more stoic and depressed around me than most, but I don't care! I am kind of annoying, I have to admit…" he answered.

"No, no!" I answered, without completely thinking, "I don't… I don't hate you…." –where am I going with this? – "It's just the way I am. But don't think I want to be friends with you. I just… tolerate you, ok?" At least I ended it well... I need to work better on what I say to him though.

"Ok, Norge! I guess that is better than you hating me!" he said, smiling big as ever. I don't get why he isn't in the least bit offended by what I just said, but I guess it just proves how dense he is. "But…" he added, "why is that 'just the way you are'?"

I had to think about this. Hmmm. Let me see. I hate people for one. Though this was mainly because the only person I had known for eighteen years was abusive…. I have to kill you. Oh wait, can't really say that to him. "I just… don't trust as easily as most." I finally spit out.

Really? That is the lame excuse I come up with? It actually isn't an excuse though. It is one of the reasons, which makes me mad that I said it. Dammit…. What happened to lies only?

"Why is that?" Matthias asked, still not letting my hand go. I sighed as I quickly thought about what I should say. Tell the truth again or lie? I suppose saying this won't hurt the mission… so, "I just haven't been treated the best by people. I don't want to get hurt, and the best way not to get hurt is to distance myself."

Matthias' face wore many expressions on it. I couldn't tell if he was sorry for me, guilty, sad, angry, confused, or not feeling emotion at all. When he didn't say anything for a few seconds, I started to slowly try to weave my hand away from his. This only caused him to stand alert again, and grab it even tighter.

He pulled himself down to me, and wrapped his arms around me. He then mumbled into my shoulder, "I know you don't like hugs or affection, but listen to me. I will treat you better than anyone has ever treated you before. I promise. I will never hurt you, but you have to trust me, ok?"

I had to actually think about everything he had just said. Once everything was sorted out in my mind, and I understood what he had said, and I actually… believed him.

"Why are you saying this? Why do you care?" I asked, trying hard to keep my emotions down.

"Because…I really like you Emil! And I don't think you deserve to have anyone mistreat you!" he replied. There it was again. The name that wasn't mine. I don't know why, but hearing someone else's name with those words, made me feel sad. Maybe even something more than sad, but I don't know what that could possibly be. Why did I even care? I was planning on getting this guy killed, so why do I care if he likes me or not? Why do I care if he knows and likes the real me?

I mean… this is the real me, but just a fake name. I am faking a lot of other things though, too. I don't deserve anything, yet he is telling me I deserve everything. I – I – I can't do this!

I snapped up from the bed, shoving him off of me. "Please give me some 'night clothes', and I will be off," I stated, gaining my composure back. I can't go off course any more than I already have. I cannot be friends with him. I just need to leave, and get my thoughts straight.

He was still on the bed, both hands where I used to be. His eyes looked like a mixture of shock and confusion, and I wasn't sure if he was going to break into tears. But… he slowly got off the bed, and stuttered, "O-ok… I umm, am not sure any of my stuff will fit you well, but I guess it will just have to do for tonight….ha…"

He walked over to an old, wooden crate in his room, and started to rummage around it for clothes. Eventually, he pulled out a piece of clothing that was beige and had short sleeves. It was too long to be a shirt… so what exactly was it?

"What is that?" I asked, not even thinking about if the answer was supposed to be obvious or not. Matthias looked at the piece of clothing then to me, and said, "Oh, well… don't get mad, but I feel like this is the only thing that will fit you… I can go check and see if Tino has anything that will fit you!"

"No, no, that's fine!" I said, not wanting to get anyone else involved in such an unimportant matter, "I just wanted to know what it was." The look of confusion covered his face yet again, as he stood up with the clothing in his hand. He then laughed, and said, "You really haven't see a girl in one of these before? Not even your mo-! Oh… never mind, I am sorry… it is a night gown though… it will fit you. It was actually my mother's gown…. Tomorrow morning we can go get better clothes for you, but this will have to do."

His commentary was definitely unique. He switched around from topic to topic when I only asked a simple question of what the piece of clothing was. By the way, was he saying that my body worked better with woman's clothing than his clothing? And what happened to Emil's mother? Probably something sad, judging by the way he talked about her. He also talked about his mother in past tense which had to have meant something sad. Maybe I could ask Arthur or Alfred about what happened to them…

"Uh, ya. This is fine," I said, trying to be nicer, because this was something of his mothers'. It probably means something to him, so I should be light around the subject and things of hers. I don't know what is going through me, but I just couldn't bring myself to be cold to him at this moment.

He extended his hand to give me the clothing, smiling almost sadly. God, why do I always do this to people? Why do I feel like I made a huge mistake? "Thank you," I whispered quietly, taking the night gown, and putting it safely under my arm.

"No problem," he replied, smiling a bit more, "So you know where your room is… I guess this is goodnight! See you tomorrow!" He leaned closer, and started to spread his arms out wide, getting ready to hug me. This time I didn't move or flinch. I just wanted him to hug me to know that everything was going to be ok between us.

I closed my eyes and got ready for the contact. When the contact never came for a few seconds, I opened my eyes to see him staring awkwardly at me, standing up straight as he did so. I was about to ask him why he didn't hug me, but I caught myself first.

He then answered my question that I was thinking, and said, "Sorry. I remembered that you don't like hugs, heh…"

"Oh…" I said, looking down. Why was I sad? It's true, I hate hugs! In fact, I hate all kinds of contact! Why did I want to be hugged by him? I can't do this, I can't think, I can't be here right now, and I need to leave. I can't be around him. I want to be around him, but he is doing something to my mind.

I heard him start to say something, but I already started backing out of the room.

"Em-"

"Don't call me that! Just… I am tired. I haven't slept for the past few days, and I am tired…"

"Oh, well… good night then. See you tomorrow-!"

"Yes…. See you tomorrow. Good night."

I slipped out of his room, and ran to my room, which was just a few steps away. I shut the door and ran and jumped onto my bed. I wanted to cry. What have I done? I have recognized sadness before, but there is a whole new feeling taking me over, and I am scared.

I took off my clothes, and neatly laid them in a pile by the door. I walked to a tall mirror that was sitting in the corner of my room. I had heard of these before, but I had never actually seen one. I looked into the mirror, and… saw myself for the first time.

I gasped at the sight staring back at me. I had blonde hair, -which I already knew because sometimes my hair would hang down in front of my eyes-, blue eyes, and a thin body. Matthias' body was much more masculine than mine. No wonder why he gave me woman clothes.

My eyes wandered down to my wrists that were still bruised and red from the chains. Just the sight of them made me gasp slightly out of shock. It wasn't that bad though, since I could see my wrists even without a mirror.

My eyes traveled farther down to my waist that was covered in a thicker line of red, bruised skin. This was worse that my wrists or my ankles. With all of these bruises and lines on me, I barely looked human. I had dark circles under my eyes, and my skin was almost as white as the clouds in the sky.

I wonder why Matthias even wants to be friends with me. Why is he even talking to me? I am hideous. I am revolting, and boring, and mean, and on top of it all I am a liar. I am no worse than the king, himself! Oh god, what have I become? I don't even know who I am anymore.

I gave one last look in the mirror before deciding that I had enough self-criticism for tonight. I quickly figured out how to put the night gown on, and stared at myself in the mirror to see how it looked on me.

The dress length stopped at my about my knees, if not a little shorter. The neck line stooped down to just half an inch above my chest. The sleeves were not even long enough to reach the end of my shoulders, and the whole thing was almost falling off of me. His mom, I guess, was skinny, but just not as skinny as me.

My ankles and wrists were visible when wearing this dress so I have to make sure to change into my regular clothes before seeing Matthias tomorrow.

I blew out the remaining candles in my room, and made my way over to the bed. It was more comfortable than Matthias described, but still not as comfortable as his. I slipped under the covers, wincing when I failed to avoid touching the fabric to the injured parts of my body.

I could see light from the sky shine through my window, shining on a few objects around the room. I could get used to this kind of lifestyle. I just hope everything ends up ok for me. I really cannot afford to mess this up.

Laying in the barely lit room, I thought up ways I could successfully go through with this scheme. Thus, sleep took me over, and I fell asleep.

**_A/N: Well… that was yet another poorly written chapter XD. I swear… I will find time to come and clean up the chapters, but here you guys go for now! I am so sorry yet again for not posting it on me and Norway's birthday, but my friends came over, and some people had to stay for three days because their parents were out of town. _**

**_But they are gone now, so here you go! Ha ~ sorry I am rambling on. Just, review, because you guys know how much I love your reviews! And tell me if you do want me to give out shout outs to those who review!_**

**_P.S. – Tell me if I should make a chapter in Denmark's POV! That would be fun. _**

**_You guys rock! _**

**_~ NorwegianPilot17_**


	6. Winter Smile

**_A/N: UGHHHHHHHHH. Ok, so I would have posted this chapter sooner, but my computer restarted on me, and deleted this whole chapter! I had to re-write it again! Now, for those of you out there that have had this happen to you, you know how depressing it is to have a FINISHED chapter deleted completely, and you have to rewrite it again. It is a bummer, but I did it anyway. _**

**_On a happy note though, it's officially summer! For most people at least… Congratulations to all of you who have made it through yet another school year! *cue the song, "We are the Champions" in the back ground* I love you all, and I love your reviews! In the summer, I will be able to write more, so there is another perk! _**

**_I am so sorry my Author Notes are so long by the way… I am trying to work on that XD. On with the story!_**

_Winter Smile_

I woke up to a pool of sunlight, beaming through my window. I can't say that I wasn't just a little bit surprised to wake up to, well… light! At first, the light did hurt my eyes, but in the end, the light that danced around my room truly was an amazing sight.

The bed was twice as comfortable as it was last night. Was there some kind of magic that beds have that do this to people? I wanted to just snuggle back into my covers and not wake up ever. But… I had to get up, and complete this mission as soon as possible. Then when I have my freedom, I can sleep in as much as I want!

I crawled out of bed, and walked over to my clothes near the door. I caught a glimpse of myself through the mirror, and couldn't help but just stop and look at myself again. My hair was slightly messy, which I fixed by running my finger through it. My face was still a very light complexion, but I noticed how my dark circles were faded a little bit.

I smiled a little bit at how much the night changed my appearance. I actually looked… descent! My bruises were still bright around my wrists, ankles, and stomach, but I wasn't in the mood to worry about that at the moment. I turned around, and started to walk over to my clothes.

I started to lean down to pick up the clothes, when the door swung open, and crashed into me. I fell backwards on the ground, as something else toppled over me. When I deemed it safe to open my eyes, I realized that a heavy body was laying directly on top of me. And it was Prince Matthias.

"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to push him off of me, as he just started to laugh.

Through his quick breaths of laughter, he said, "I was going to come in here to wake you up, but you are already awake, I guess!"

"Why is that so funny to you?" I asked, generally confused as to why he was laughing about squishing me.

Matthias finally stopped laughing, and just smiled. He scooted up more on me, so that our stomach were aligned with each other. I don't know why, but I started to blush, as he was making himself comfortable on top of me. Probably from embarrassment, I don't know, but I am not sure anymore if I want him to get off or not.

When he was done, he smiled at me, and stared right into my eyes, making me forget how to breathe for just a quick second. His eyes were a light blue that reminded me of the day sky that I met for the first time just a day ago.

I forgot the whole entire conversation we just had before, when I stared at his face. It seemed like he did too, because was as quiet as me. He started to smile though, when I remained a frowned. His eyes started to wander down to the night gown I was wearing.

I quickly remembered that my wrists could be seen in our position, so I put them under my back, and just prayed that he wouldn't look at my waist or my ankles.

"You know… You are beautiful..." Matthias said, pulling me out of my thoughts, as well as making me blush.

Why do I keep heating up? I have to ask Arthur and Alfred later how I control this… Until then I might as well just yell at Matthias for making me do it in the first place. "Why would you say that? I am not-… beautiful…," I mumbled, struggling to get out from under him without taking my wrist out behind my back.

Matthias sat up, and put his legs on both sides of me, in a straddling position. This caused the night gown I was wearing to bunch up to my low waist. He put both hands over my shoulders, pinning me to the ground. "What are you doing?" I shouted, blushing as he looked me over once more.

"You are beautiful! Why would you think you are not?" he asked, beaming widely.

"Because!" I struggled once more to be released from his grip, "I'm just not, ok?"

"That's not a good excuse! I am going to get to the bottom of your self-criticism, and I am going to fix it!" he replied, laughing.

I stopped struggling. "Self-criticism?" I asked, "I don't… That's not the reason why…."

I tried to look away from him, but it was hard when I was being pinned to the floor. I don't want to talk about this right now. Especially when I am in danger of him seeing my cuff injuries.

"Then what is it?" he asked, still smiling. I didn't answer him. If I don't answer then maybe he will go away. I swear if I had long sleeves on right now, I would punch him in the face, and kick him out of my room. But for now, my only option is to remain silent.

I looked up to him, and saw that his smile was faded. "What is it?" I asked, as I rolled my eyes to make it seem like I truly didn't care. "Have you never been told you are beautiful?" he asked, cupping my face with his hand to force me to look directly into his eyes. I glared at him to make him know that I didn't want to do this.

He didn't back down though when I glared at him. Instead, he just intensified his stare towards me, with a small smirk across his features. This guy was hard to break. I hate him for it. I finally gave up after a few minutes, and said, "Fine. No one has ever told me besides you just a few seconds ago. Can you free me now?"

Matthias smiled at the fact that he finally got me to crack, and said, "Nope! Not yet! Not until I make you truly believe you are beautiful, ok?"

"Oh my Gosh… Is this going to take all day? I am hungry," I groaned, wishing that I didn't get out of bed this morning. Things could have probably gone way differently if so.

"No! Not if this works!" he said, leaning forward from his straddle. He then wrapped his arms around me, and started to say, "Emil, slash, Norgey! I hereby declare that you are the most beautiful person I have ever seen in my entire life! (And I have seen a lot of beautiful people) But you top them all! I love everything from your beautiful hair that is always in your face, to your beautiful blue eyes, to your funny, cute, and amazing – yet sometimes mean – personality, to how well you look in a nightgown! You are perfect and amazing and beautiful! Do you believe it now?"

He sat up from the hug with a wide smile on his face, as he stared directly into my eyes. I couldn't help but smile – just a little – at all the things he said. He thought I had a personality? And he loved it? He loved my appearance and he thought I was beautiful? No one had ever said such nice things to me before, so this was… big for me.

"I believe it," I said in a whisper tone, because I was still trying to process all he said. And not to mention, my face was more heated than ever before. I felt like my face was on fire.

"With more enthusiasm!" Matthias begged, as he laughed. I couldn't help but laugh at the way he was acting. He was always so happy and care free. He actually made me feel happiness! I laughed out loud for the first time in my whole life.

"Ok, ok! I believe I am beautiful!" I yelled through my laughter, as he laughed along with me.

"Yay! It worked!" he laughed. I stopped laughing for just a second to admire just how beautiful _he_ was. He really thought that I was good looking when he looked ten times more amazing?

As I was admiring him, I started to realize. Am I… starting to like him? Not just in a friend way, but a… Alfred and Arthur kind of way. What did they call it again? I will have to ask them later… I can't end up liking him. I have to stop. What if I end up loving him? What am I going to do then?

While thinking, I didn't even notice that Matthias had already stopped laughing. In fact, when his face was just inches away from mine seemed to pull me from my thoughts. The thing that attracted my eyes the most were his lips. They were so close… Was he going to kiss me?

I started to panic. The King kissed me all the time, but it was always without my consent. Was this was Matthias was going to do? Was he just taking advantage of me?

A new feeling started to kick into my system. I had never felt it before, but it felt like a tiny tower in my heart and mind was crashing down. A tears threatened to fall from my eye, as I lay there, helpless to whatever was about to happen. I closed my eyes and awaited my nightmare.

That was when I heard his voice ask, "Why are you crying?" I opened my eyes to see a concerned look facing back at me. He stopped the kiss because I was crying? "Get the kiss over with if you are going to do it," I said, wiping my tear by moving my face across my shoulder. God, this was so embarrassing. I was supposed to be strong. If this were the King, he probably would have killed me by now for the way I was acting.

"No. I am not going to kiss you if you don't want to. That'd just be sick. Has anyone ever done that to you before?" he asked.

There are things I should keep to myself. This is probably it. "…No," I answered, looking away so he wouldn't see the guilt that coated my eyes.

He stared at me for what felt like the longest time. What was he exactly getting from staring at me? I laid there awkwardly, wondering when he will get off of me, until a voice from behind Matthias, said, "Matthias, Ber says that your father wants y-Oh! Ummm… Should I come back later?"

I stared up at Matthias, wondering who was talking. Matthias turned to look at the owner of the voice, then said, "Hey Tino! You don't have to! This is Emil!"

Matthias fixed my night gown until it was down to my low thigh again, and rolled off of me. That was when I got a proper look at the boy named Tino. He looked about my height. He had blue eyes, blonde hair, and was wearing a brown shirt and pants with a blue coat over it.

He was smiling, as he said, "Oh hello Emil! It is a pleasure to finally meet you. How do you like things in Denmark, so far?"

"I guess it's alright. Everyone is nice, but I really only have met Prince Matthias, Prince Berwald, and now you," I said honestly, standing up. I hid my wrists behind my back, and prayed he wouldn't look down to my ankles. Hopefully the bruises weren't that noticeable either.

"Oh, well Matthias will have to introduce you to more people," Tino said, smiling over to Matthias, who was standing right next to me, "He was so excited when he heard that another prince was coming. I think he has the whole month planned out, so you will have a lot of fun!"

I smiled a little and nodded my head. They were both nice – Matthias being a bit more strange and excited than nice – but I wanted them to both get out of my room, so I could change into proper clothes. They both were dressed, so I felt awkward being the only one in night clothes. Especially since these were girl night clothes, which I should probably return to Matthias.

"That's right! I am going to make sure you have the proper first experience in Denmark!" Matthias said, walking over to where Tino was, as he faced me, "Oh, and by the way! Tino, here, has been engaged to my dashing friend, Berwald, for quite some time now."

"Oh, really? Congratulations," I said, smiling and nodding, even though I had no idea what "engaged" meant. Yet another thing I should probably ask Alfred and Arthur…

I need to make a list.

"Thank you!" Tino replied, "That is actually why Berwald and I are here in Denmark!"

"Wait, you guys don't normally live here?" I asked, as a quick question, but I was for sure going to kick them out after I get the answer.

"No we don't. I don't at least. This is only my fourth time here, but Berwald practically lives here because he visits so much. I live in Finland and he is the Prince of Sweden. We wanted to have our wedding here in Denmark before Berwald becomes king," Tino answered.

I feel like everyone I have met so far likes to answer things that aren't even in the questions I ask… I smiled, and waited for one of the two to say something else, because I really had nothing. What is a wedding? What is engaged? Are Tino and Berwald like Alfred and Arthur?

I was interrupted by my thoughts when my stomach growled. I looked at Matthias and Tino uneasy. The feeling of hunger is always followed by nausea and dizziness for me. The room started to turn a little. How long has it been since I last ate?

Let's see… I didn't eat yesterday, or the day before that, or the day before that, or the day before that… I don't even remember eating this week, at all!

That was when the room started spinning just slightly. I stumbled backwards, still not letting my hands out from under my back. My vision was starting to get blurry. I have experienced this so many times throughout my life, so this wouldn't usually scare me. But I have a lot at stake, and if I pass out, they may find out about my chain injuries.

I suddenly felt a presence surrounding me. I felt one arm wrap around my shoulders and high back, while another wrapped around my stomach. "Are you ok?"

I looked up to see Matthias holding on to me. My eyes widened when I realized he could see my wrists from here. I quickly turned around, still hiding my wrists from both him and Tino. "Yes, I am just hungry. It's just that I haven't eaten in a while…" I said, looking down.

I could see though the corner of my eye, Matthias giving a stare to Tino. I then heard, "Ok! Well, you can go to breakfast with Tino! My dad needs me right now, I guess, but I will be down there as soon as I can, ok?"

I looked to Tino who was smiling at me. They both were smiling at me, actually. What was with everyone smiling? Except for Prince Berwald of course… From what I have seen so far, he smiles as much as me, which is little to practically never.

I nodded my head, and said, "Ok."

"Great!" Matthias said, starting to head out of my room, but I stopped him before he could completely leave.

"Wait!" I said, running after him and grabbing him by the shoulder, quickly retrieving my hand and putting it behind my back, "What do I do about clothes?"

"Oh, that's right! Tino, do you mind lending Emil some clothes of yours for just today until I take him out to get clothes of his own? I would lend him my own, but they'd kind of fall off of him," he laughed.

"Sure!" Tino said, a look across his face that made it plain to see that he was already planning which clothes he was going to give me.

"Ok! Well I must be off now, Emil," Matthias said, "I really will miss you."

He then wrapped one arm around my waist, and kissed the top of my head, earning him a punch in the gut. He quickly recovered from the punch as soon as I placed it on him, and laughed as he winked at me.

"Awe, Emil. Loving as ever… Bye!" he said, before running off in one direction down the castle hallway. I was now left alone with Tino who was now smiling at me (wider than before at least).

"What is it?" I asked, anger showing just a little bit through my voice. I was mad that none of my attacks were working on the Dane.

"Nothing!" Tino smirked, and turned around, "Now let's go get you dressed in proper clothes, and then we can go eat breakfast."

We then set off in the opposite direction for me to get changed. I couldn't help but wonder what exactly Matthias had planned for me… What was I in for?

**_A/N: HEYYY. So I know I promised a Denmark POV chapter, but I kind of already planned this one out as Norway's POV, so…. I think next chapter is going to have a Denmark POV scene in it, but it is not going to be the whole chapter._**

**_Idk. I have grown to love Norway's POV. Also….ARTHUR AND ALFRED ARE COMING BACK IN!_**

**_I would say next chapter, but I have no idea! Just know very soon…_**

**_Ya, that's all I have to say for now. PLEASE REVIEW BECAUSE I LOVE ALL OF YOUR REVIEWS!_**

**_Bye!_**

**_~NorwegianPIlot17_**


	7. Winter Sentiment

**_A/N: Hello everybody! Before I start this chapter I would like to thank Mx Akiyata for helping me out A LOT and giving me some of the ideas used within this chapter. They are also helping me out more with the rest of the story, so Thank you so much! *Gives Virtual Hug*_**

**_The first scene is going to be Denmark's POV, but after it, I am switching back to Lukas' POV!_**

_Winter Sentiment_

I walked down the dim lit hallway, smiling wider than I have smiled in a long time. With Emil, all my worries of becoming king or impressing my father just disappeared. I could barely get any sleep last night just thinking about how happy he makes me!

I know I have only known him for less than a day, and he has been "mean" to me for most of the time, but just something about him makes me unable to stop smiling! Not even talking to my father could lower my spirits when I have Emil in the back of my mind!

Walking into my father's throne room, I noticed he was sitting on his throne, playing with a dagger in his hands. My smile disappeared, and I stood firm, "You needed me father?"

I don't know when our relationship became this way. We really did used to have a great bond, but after my mother… passed… he has never been the same. He spends more time thinking and getting drunk then he does actually caring about the kingdom or even me.

My father gave one last look at the silver dagger in his hand, and said, "I wanted to talk to you about that Emil boy…"

I could feel my eyes light up at his name. "Oh, isn't he great? You were drunk the first time you met him, but I-!"

"But you what?" he interrupted, "You surely don't think I want to spend time with the disgusting king of Norway's son, do you?"

"…But you invited him to stay here in Denmark," I reminded him. Why was he acting like this? If he wouldn't categorize Emil into the same person as his father, then he would realize that Emil was amazing!

"Yes, I invited him to stay here. But I have some plans for him that will help me out," my father said, starting to play with the dagger again.

"Are you implying that you are going to hurt Emil?" I questioned him, getting angry. No one was going to hurt Emil on my account.

"Never! I am not going to hurt Emil," he answered, putting his hand to his chest in a dramatically offended way. He then smiled. Not his ordinary smile that he used to use a long time ago… A smile that was so dark, and kept things from me.

I stayed silent, just trying to control my anger, until he said, "Emil is not to be trusted. I don't care how much you and that boy have bonded, but he has something up his sleeve."

That's it. "Emil is nothing like his father," I yelled, "I do trust him, and we are both going to make things right between Norway and Denmark. And if you do try to hurt Emil in any way, I am coming after you."

My dad stayed silent for a few moments. Then he laughed a little, and said, "You have… taken a liking to Emil haven't you?"

"Yes, I have. Is there something wrong with that?" I asked him, starting to get closer. I was in no mood to carry on with this conversation, but I was going to make a point that he was to stay far away from Emil.

"No, no. I guess not. I just can't wait to see the day when you find out that I was right about him. Of course, that just might be the day that he turns on you and kills you," he answered.

I started to turn around. I didn't even want to see his face anymore! Yes, he was king, but I was going to be king soon whether he liked it or not. I am going to change the kingdom of Denmark and our bond between Norway once and for all, and there is nothing he can do about.

"Wait, Matthias," he called after me, when I was about to start walking away. "What is it?" I snapped back.

"Take this… just in case."

I turned around to see him holding up the dagger. Why did he think Emil was such a threat? I snatched the dagger from him and put it in on the side of my belt. It was better that I had a weapon than my father in this situation.

"Come anywhere near Emil to hurt him; I will destroy you and your name as king," I growled. I wasn't interested in what he had to say after my threat. I never wanted to know what he thought about it. To be honest, I was more interested in seeing Emil again. I need to protect him from my father now, too.

Berwald, Tino, and I usually eat breakfast in the kitchen, so I figure they will all be there. The kitchen was upstairs, so I quickly left my father, went up the stairs, and down the hall to it. To my surprise, only Berwald was in the room, sitting down as he drank water.

"Uh, good morning!" I greeted, walking to the table and sitting down in the chair across from him.

He mumbled as he drank his water, then sat it down, saying, "Good morning."

"Do you know where Emil and Tino are?" I questioned.

"Tino is getting Emil ready. Tino said that I had to come down to distract you," he said, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Why?" I asked, sitting up a little bit in my chair.

"I am not sure. I think Tino is trying to get you and Emil together though," he noted, setting his coffee back down on the table.

I felt my face heat up. Tino? Trying to get me and Emil together? My heart started to beat faster just at the thought of me and Emil being together. I mean… I know Emil would never like me in that way because of his father, but it really was fun to think about.

"Oh," was all I could say at the moment. I couldn't get this damn blush off my face. I wondered what Berwald was thinking right now. Did he also want me and Emil to get together? Was he against Emil too? I feel like everyone except me and maybe Tino hate the Norwegians…

How could I hate the Norwegians though? That'd be hating Emil too, and I just can't do that. He couldn't have been raised by the king, because he is nice – well…. _Decent_ to everyone!

I tried not to get too lost in my thoughts, so I got up and started to make myself some coffee. Should I fix Emil some? Does he even like coffee? What am I thinking, of course he likes coffee. I heard that Norwegians practically live on that stuff.

I started to fix us both coffee, still wondering what Tino and Emil could possibly be doing…

~(Lukas' POV)~

"You look great in that!" Tino exclaimed as I tried on what felt like the billionth piece of clothing today.

I was wearing black pants that were made of a softer fabric than Emil's. These were also much looser and more comfortable. The shirt he had me wearing was long sleeved, black and blue, and had brown fur in some places on the hem.

He even gave me black boots that were similar to what Matthias had on yesterday, but had more fur on the outside.

At first, I was a little scared to be trying on stuff in front of Tino, because I didn't want to risk him seeing my marks. Thankfully, he just thought I was shy, and let me change in his bathroom, and just come out to show him everything.

I liked the first outfit a little, the second outfit was also very good, and the third was great too. The fourth, fifth, and sixth were also fine in my opinion. But none of them were good enough for Tino. Why did he care so much about what I wore? I just wanted something comfortable and long sleeved.

When we started to reach the teens of how many outfits I had tried on, I had finally decided which one I liked.

This one.

This outfit with the colors black and blue, and I was staring at in the mirror right now. Even Tino seemed to approve of it.

"I choose this one. Can we be done now?" I asked, still looking in the mirror at my appearance. Tino smiled, and said, "Yes, only if you answer one question for me."

I turned around, "Yes?"

A grin appeared across his features. "Could you see you and Matthias being together?"

Oh great, now Tino is making my face heat up, too? Why did he have to ask such a question? It was truly none of his business, and I should tell him that.

"I…am not sure," was what came out of my mouth. Wait. What? I was supposed to tell Tino that he shouldn't ask me questions like that. Why did I answer the question instead?

"What do you mean you're not sure?" Tino asked me. I was not going to answer a second time. This time I was going to tell him that I do not want to continue this conversation any further.

"I don't know, I just never really liked or loved someone before, much less be in a relationship with anyone," I answered. Why is my mouth doing this to me? Who was controlling my mouth? Certainly not me. Definitely not my brain since it knows better. I am pretty sure my soul cannot control my mouth…. I'll figure it out later…

"Wait, so… Matthias is your first love?" Tino asked leaning closer with a sly smile on his face.

What was he implying? "I never said love!" I said, leaning backwards to avoid his stare.

"I know you never said it. But you show it!" Tino laughed, "But don't worry! I won't tell Matthias!"

I could feel the blush creeping across my face. Did it really look like I was in love? Was I in love? No, No. I cannot think about this. Freedom is far too important to be thinking about stupid things like love and feelings for other people.

"Thank you for not telling him," I managed to say, "Because it is not true."

Finally my brain gets a say in the conversation! Thank you brain for finally taking your rightful place in controlling my speech.

The look on Tino's face shouted disappointment, but he suddenly smiled, and said, "Ok. But don't let this talk ruin your relationship between you and Matthias so far, ok?"

I smiled back. I kind of feel bad now. I mean, he just asked an innocent question about how I felt about a certain someone, and I probably offended him. Oh well…. "Don't worry, I won't," I replied.

Tino gave a sigh of relief, and smiled. He then started to open his arms almost as if he were about to- and he was. He was hugging me… The pain of hugging is kind of gone in my body, but now the hugs are just extremely awkward.

This hug was indeed awkward to me, but Tino was probably not going to stop hugging me until I hugged him back. So, slowly I lifted my arms, and rested them on his back. I patted him a few times, and quickly let go. I never wanted to hug someone again. It really was a horrific experience, and I don't know why people enjoy it.

Tino smiled, and said, "I think Matthias is waiting for us so we should probably go, ok?"

"Uh, right. Ok…" I said, starting to walk out of the room. Tino followed me, eventually passing me so he could show me the way to where we were going.

When we got to what Tino called, 'the kitchen', I felt like I was about to throw up because I needed food badly. I walked into the kitchen, first noticing a smell that I had never smelled before. It was definitely good… in fact, very good.

The second thing I noticed was where the smell was coming from. Matthias was fixing some sort of food that was causing the amazing aroma. I quickly walked over next to him, and asked, "What are you making?"

He looked at me like he just noticed my presence, and smiled wide, "Hey Norge! And this?" he pointed to a cup filled with a brown liquid, "Are you telling me that you don't know what it is?"

I shook my head. I had never heard of it before- well… I haven't heard of a lot of things, but this is definitely one of them.

Matthias laughed a little awkwardly, and said, "I thought this was like water to Norwegians though."

Water? Is there a different type of water, or is that just a saying? "What is it?" I asked, ignoring his last comment. I think my list of things to ask Arthur and Alfred is getting too long.

Matthias gestured to the cup, saying, "This is coffee! The Danish way," he winked at me.

I looked away from him to hide my blush that appeared right away. I could feel my face heating up, as he laughed a little. I soon felt his hand lightly cover mine on the table, as he asked, "Emil are you ok?"

I looked back to him to say something, but then realized that he could see my blush now. I quickly turned my head back around, and replied, "Yes… I just-," "Emil, are you embarrassed about blushing?" Matthias asked, interrupting what I was about to say.

To be honest, I was glad he interrupted me. I just didn't want to have to answer that question though… I eventually chose not to answer him, and prayed he would just walk away, no matter how embarrassing the scene would be.

That was not the case though… Instead, he softly and without force, turned my face with his fingers, making it so I was looking at him in the eye. When we made eye contact, I felt my face heat up to what felt like a boiling temperature. I thought it was winter. Why does my body feel like I am burning?

I could see Mathias staring at the features on my face. I closed my eyes, hoping that he'd stop, and leave me alone, but instead, he asked, "Do you want to try the coffee?"

I felt his fingers lift off my face, as I opened my eyes. In front of me was him holding the cup of coffee. I then remember how hungry and thirsty I was, so I grabbed the cup – as gracefully as I could – and drank all the coffee within it.

This stuff was amazing as it smelled! I felt my eyes widen like it had a magical power that made me more awake if that made any sense. I set the cup down. Was there more? I wanted more. I looked to Matthias only to find a shocked expression on his face.

"I take it you like the coffee?" he laughed a little.

I nodded exuberantly at him. I loved coffee! "Could I please have more?" I asked. I wanted to taste it again. It truly was amazing.

He smiled, and nodded his head, quickly making another cup of coffee.

I smiled, as he gave me the coffee again. "Thank you," I said to him, as I took a sip from the coffee cup. He lingered a bit to see if I liked it. Of course I did, so I assure him, "Good as always." He smiled, and asked, "Are you hungry for any food? Or are the rumors true that Norwegians really do just live off of coffee?" he laughed.

I laughed a little. I wish Norwegians could live off coffee. If I was even Norwegian. If I was something else, then I wish that they lived off of coffee too. I'd be happy if all I had to do was drink coffee to survive. I loved the taste! But I need food…

"Food sounds good," I admitted, already finishing the cup of coffee. "Great!" he said, starting to turn to walk over to the table where Berwald and Tino were probably sitting down, eating breakfast if they hadn't left already. I didn't notice…

I turned with Matthias, only to see Berwald and Tino staring at us from their seats in the kitchen. Tino had his elbows propped up with his head resting between his hands, and smiled wide as he stared at both me and Matthias.

Tino sighed, and said to Berwald, "See, I told you they are great for each other!"

I looked to Matthias who was already staring at me with a blush across his face. I probably had one on my features too, because it was extremely hot in here. I thought I told Tino I didn't like Matthias in that way…

Matthias laughed a little, and said to them, "Guys it's not like that! And don't scare the guest on his first day here." I let out a breath of relief. Good thing he didn't like me in the way Tino wanted. That would have been bad…

Of course… I felt relieved, but a little part of me kind of felt disappointed. Almost even sad. I don't know why though.

I decided to brush off the feeling when Matthias mentioned food again.

For breakfast we ate bread and tomato soup with beans and peas on the side. Matthias also fixed me another cup of coffee, which I drank in just a few minutes. Danish coffee – or just coffee in general, I guess - was my favorite thing about Denmark so far.

During breakfast, we talked about many things such as the differences in our cultures, where we would like to travel, and Tino even ended up inviting me to his and Berwald's wedding, as well. I accepted, even though I still didn't understand what it actually was. It was during the month, and I figured that since Matthias was going, I'd go too.

To keep an eye on him of course! Plus, I was interested in what a wedding was like.

After breakfast, I was planning to go see Arthur and Alfred to ask them a few questions, and also explain myself to them. They did deserve an explanation after all they have done for me.

I told everyone that I was going to check on Arthur and Alfred, asking if they needed anything. At first, Matthias wanted to go with me, but thankfully Berwald said that he wanted to discuss the wedding and his roles with him. Matthias whined, but reluctantly stayed behind. I quickly got out of the castle, and left to go see my friends. I could finally learn about many of the things I have already been introduced to.

~(***)~

The walk to Alfred and Arthur's ship felt longer than the time I walked from there to the palace with Matthias. It seemed more peaceful, but… it also felt lonelier.

I started to walk up the plank that led to the top of the ship when I heard Alfred's voice, "Artie, he's back!"

"Who?" I heard Arthur say, as I walked farther up on the plank. I could see the tops of their heads now, as I Alfred replied, "Emil!"

Alfred then ran up to me, with Arthur close behind. Alfred wrapped his arms around me in a bone crushing hug that did indeed hurt my bruises. "Ow, ow, ow! Put me down!" I demanded, holding my stomach area. Alfred did as I told, and stared at me, "Sorry, Em! Did my super strength hurt you?" I looked up at him and laughed, "Ya, a little."

I guess since he was calling me Emil, Arthur hadn't told him yet about me. I suppose it was better that way though. Arthur came up, slapping Alfred's shoulder, as he said to me, "Emi- or… Are you ok?"

"Yes," I replied, standing up straight, "I have come here to explain myself and also ask a few questions."

"Oh," Arthur replied, looking down at the ground. He then looked up at me and said, "I haven't told Alfred yet, because I figured you would prefer to tell him, yourself."

"Thank you for that," I said, "It is very cold out here. Is it ok if we go inside?"

"Sure," Arthur answered, leading both me and a very confused Alfred into the cabin of the ship.

The inside of the cabin was very warm compared to the outside. The seating placement that we all sat down in was the same as when we first sat down together. I was facing both Alfred and Arthur.

"Now here is how we are going to do this," Arthur began, "You said you have some questions right?"

I nodded by head, 'yes'.

"Well," Arthur continued, "For each question that you answer, we'll answer one of your questions, alright?"

The plan sounded great, so I agreed to it. Arthur started off with the first question.

"What is your real name?" he asked, Alfred still looking extremely confused off to the side.

"My real name is Lukas. I am not sure what my last name is though… And since Alfred looks extremely confused, I am not Prince Emil."

Alfred mouthed the word, 'oh' still looking a little bit confused, but not as much. I ignored him for a second since it was now my turn.

"What does engaged mean?" I asked.

I then noticed Arthur's expression go white. "You didn't…." he said, "Already?"

"I didn't already what?" I asked, confused as to why he thought it was a bad thing when Tino was so excited about it.

"You didn't already get engaged did you? Lukas, if you don't even know what it is, you might want to rethink this…" Arthur said.

"What? No, I didn't get engaged, a guy named Tino is engaged to another man called Berwald."

"Oh," Arthur let out a sigh of relief, "Engaged means that you and someone else have made a plan to get married."

I nodded my head to tell him that I understood. I guess it would be weird if I made a plan to marry someone in just one day. That would be very idiotic, considering I wouldn't know the person at all.

I was snapped out of my thoughts of engagements and marriages when Arthur asked, "Does Emil or the King know about you being here in Emil's place?"

"Yes they do. The King said that Emil was too busy with his "study" to travel over seas for a month. The King says that if I do this, I get to have my freedom!" I explained. I wasn't going to mention the fact that I was going to have to bring Matthias back and get him killed. I am pretty sure they knew about it and the plan succeeded, they could be blamed for Matthias' death. I don't want to put them in any kind of danger…

At first I thought that Alfred and Arthur would be happy for me, but instead the look on their faces suggested that they pitied me.

"What is it?" I asked, after they didn't say anything.

"You don't actually trust him do you?" Alfred asked me, looking worriedly at Arthur then to me.

What? What did he mean? "A promise is something no one can break, and he promised. All I have to do is go on this trip, and go back."

Alfred and Arthur exchanged looks. They were doing the thing again where they talked to each other with their eyes. They then looked back at me, and Arthur said, "Okay, so our turn to ask a question I guess."

They were just going to ignore me? Fine… I sat back in my chair, waiting for the next question. How couldn't I trust the king?

~(***)~

We ended up learning a bunch of stuff through this one meeting. I learned about what engagements were, what a wedding was, the concept of love, types of food, more Norwegian culture, and many more things.

Alfred and Arthur learned that I was kept in a dark room chained to a wall for as long as I remember, I do not like the king, I have never met Emil, I do not remember my family or where I came from, the many kinds of things the king did to me, and a few other things.

It was starting to get late when we decided we should end it, and I should go to back to the castle before Matthias starts to get suspicious.

"I have one more question though," I said, remember the most important question that was in the back of my mind.

"Ok, what is it?" Alfred, asked.

"Why do the Norwegian royals and the Danish royals hate each other? I have a feeling it has to do with the queens, but I am not sure."

Alfred and Arthur, both leaned back simultaneously. "Ohhh," Alfred said, "That is such a long story…."

Arthur smiled, then said, "Well, long story short, the royal families used to be great friends. That is until one day the queen of Norway decided to end her life by poison when eating lunch with the Queen of Denmark. She had put poison in her wine, planning to end her life then and there, but somehow – the King of Norway did it – their glasses were switched and the Queen of Denmark ended up dying."

Alfred said, "Gets me every time…"

Arthur rolled his eyes and smirked, "But that's not all. You see… The King of Denmark knew that his wife died of poison. He didn't know who slipped it into her drink, but he knew he had to get revenge. He ended up killing the Queen of Norway to get back at both of them somehow… Then there was a short war that didn't last long because both kings had young tots to take care of."

"I'm sure there must be more questions after that story, but it really is late," Arthur finished.

I nodded. I was getting pretty tired myself. I did have many other questions though. Why did the queen want to end her life? Did Emil have any siblings? If there was still such a hatred, why did the Danish king want Emil to visit?

Alfred, Arthur, and I arranged another visit for next week, and sent me off back to the palace. The sky was growing darker, and I felt like collapsing on my bed and going to sleep.

Sleep seemed very nice right now… It had been a long day.

When I appeared at the entrance of the palace, I could hear yelling from the inside. I managed to make out Matthias' voice since his was louder than the others. Another voice that was pretty loud seemed to be Berwald's voice. Why were they fighting?

I couldn't hear any other voices, so it was probably just the two of them. This was going to be awkward, but I really wanted to sleep… I started to open the door to the inside, when the door flew open any way.

This scene looked all too familiar when a body fell on top of me.

"Emil?" the body on top of me ask, confirming that it was indeed Matthias.

"Yes… Is everything ok?" I asked, trying to push him off of me, but he was already starting to get off of me.

"Ya, everything's fine. I just need to get away from here for a bit, want to come?" he laughed.

I just wanted to go to sleep. Why did he have to come out of nowhere and prevent that? I could say no though… I could tell him to go away.

I am independent. I am going to sleep.

"Sure," I said without thinking. I did it again… What keeps taking control of my mouth? It was too late though… Matthias was already thanking me for saying yes, as he stood up straight.

He then helped me up, holding my hand. When I tried to pull my hand away, he tightened his hold on it. "Is it ok if I hold your hand for a bit more?" he asked.

"Why?" I asked, feeling my face heat up for the fiftieth time today…

"Because," he looked back at the castle, "I'll tell you when we get farther away from here, ok?"

I nodded, as we already started to head off away from the castle.

What was I getting myself into?

**_A/N: Oh my gosh, I am finally finished writing that Hulk sized chapter… I promise I didn't mean for it to be that long! None of the other chapter's will be this long, I swear. I'ts just details and stuff, and ya that's it. _**

**_Please review for another chapter! Thank you!_**


	8. Winter Starlight

**_A/N: Hey guys! Its moi. It is late at night, and my dog is laying next to me, and is staring at the screen almost like he is reading it. PLEASE DON'T JUDGE ME IF YOU ARE READING THIS. But he keeps resting his head on the keyboard, and I can't get him off of it for longer than four seconds. LOL. Love you though, baby._**

**_I would again like to thank Mx Akiyata for helping me with a bunch of the ideas for this story! Thank youuu! *hugs*_**

**_Anyhoo, on with the story!_**

**_OMG WAIT. I HEAR GUNSHOTS OUTSIDE MY HOUSE. WHAT_**

**_Btw, this first scene is Berwald's POV, but the rest is Lukas' POV. Thanks!_**

* * *

_Winter Starlight_

I hated this. I felt like I was betraying my friend. My best friend to be exact. Matthias and I have known each other ever since we were seven. How could I be doing this?

These thoughts always raced through my mind when I saw either him or his father. Ever since his father instructed me to ensure Lukas' death, I have been like this. I am going behind Matthias' back, Lukas' back, and most importantly Tino's back.

I didn't want this to happen around the time of our wedding, but I agree with the King that Emil is a strong threat. I also wish Matthias believed me that Emil was a great danger. That was actually what I came to his father to talk about.

"You don't get it, King Kohler. Matthias is starting t' like Prince Emil 'n ways that are going t' be dangerous for the Scandinavian kingdoms," I argued, after the King brushed off yet another concern I had.

"Yes, yes I know. Emil has poisoned my son to like him. That Emil has been taught by the best for how to make people fall into your trap. My son is just going to have to learn it the hard way that Emil is not to be trusted!" King Kohler replied, sitting back a bit in his throne.

"And how is that?" I asked.

Sometimes King Kohler came up with the wildest scenarios when it came to the Norwegian royals. He used to be a great king, but ever since the terrible incident of the two queens, his ruling has been questionable.

"I do want Matthias to kill Emil. I just need to show him why. I plan on ruining Emil, and getting Matthias to discover his wicked ways," he explained to me.

"Sire, I don't think Emil 's that easy t' ruin. Even I can't see what 'e has planned yet. How will you show Matthias?" I asked him. I needed to make sure that the King knew exactly what he was doing. The plan couldn't be altered or changed completely later. We needed to know what to do and what we were dealing with, now.

"Manipulation," the king answered, simply.

"What?"

"Manipulation," he repeated, "That's why I have you helping me! There must be some weak spot for Emil. If you find it, expose it, and drive him into the ground, he will be mad enough to show how dangerous he is."

"What if he isn't dangerous and this is all for nothing? What 'f his father has something even bigger planned?" I asked.

"If Emil isn't dangerous and only his father is… this is just another form of sweet payback for what that sorry excuse of a king did." He said.

That was his way of ending the conversation. Was he really going to do this just for revenge? It happened years ago. There was even a short war, so why couldn't he just be at peace with the situation? I really don't get how Matthias grew up to be so _happy_ and _blithe_ with his father raising him.

Since this waste of a conversation was over, I bowed and turned around to walk out of the room. There was a more important thing to do at the moment, and that was to help Tino plan our wedding.

Already standing behind me however, was Tino. I turned back to the king and saw him smiling.

"How long had 'e been standing there?" I asked, wondering if the last few sentences in our conversation were anything to give away the plan.

"Oh just enough to hear that we are planning to kill Emil," the king mused, "It is good though. I need more people helping to destroy that idiot of a prince. Tino is a good soldier, so I am sure he will help in the long run."

"He is _not_ going to work with 's," I demanded, not daring myself to look back at Tino. Tino was such a kind hearted person even though he was a loyal soldier, and I didn't want to be the one to ruin that.

I then heard Tino's shaky voice say, "I-It's ok, I can decide f-or myself…" Tino reached out his hand to hold mine, and asked, "May I speak with Berwald in private?"

"Of course," the king said, sitting back more in his chair. Tino grabbed my hand and started to drag me out of the throne room. He didn't stop until we were outside of our room. He started to stare at the door almost like he was wondering if it was a good idea to even go in or not.

"Are y' ok?" I asked.

He quickly turned to me with tears in his eyes, "No I'm not ok."

A silence passed through us for a moment. I had nothing to say to Tino. I never know how to act around him, because I am afraid of messing things up. Who knew that it wouldn't be something I said that ruined everything?

Tino sniffled, and broke the silence, "I mean, why? Why would you _want _to kill Emil?" he said in a hushed shout.

I looked around me making sure neither Matthias nor Emil were around. When I saw no signs of them, I turned back to Tino, and started to open the door, "Let's talk 'n here."

He closed his eyes and nodded, starting to walk into the room in front of me. The room was dark, the only source of light being a few torches on the wall. Though the light was dim, I could still perfectly make out Tino's vanilla blonde hair and almost purple eyes. Just the sight of him made me lose my breath every time.

Tino looked distressed though. When he felt an emotion, he couldn't hide it to save his life. His hands were shaking, and he had tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "Tino…" I started, not sure where to start.

Where could I start? He trusted me, and I was practically betraying him. I then felt his hand on my wrist, as it slowly slid down to hold my hand. I looked up at him to see him smiling sadly at me while tears started to roll down his cheek.

I slowly brought my hand up and brushed his tear off with my finger. I almost felt like Tino was glass that could break if I did more than just barely brush his skin. He leaned into my touch though, until I brought my hand back down to my side.

"What is going on, Berwald?" he finally asked, tone slightly shaky.

I hesitated as to what I should say. Finding the words has always been struggle for me, and it was even harder now in this specific situation.

"I-," I started off saying, "King Kohler 'as instructed m' to help him with 'is mission to kill Prince Emil."

I looked into Tino's eyes, to let him know I wasn't lying. I also needed to know if he was understanding everything. When he started to slowly nod his head, more tears starting to fall down his cheeks, I continued, "It's t' get back 't the King of Norway for killing 'is Queen."

Tino's grip loosened on my hand, as he said, "Ok...Ok, but why are _you_ doing this? Why are you helping him? You could say no."

"I know," I replied, "It's just…. The King of Norway hates gays. I just th'nk 'at if we kill 'is son; he will know w' are n't a force to be messed with. He won't try an' attack us anymore because 'f who we choose to love."

Tino stayed silent for a moment. For once feeling uncomfortable with the silence, I broke it by saying, "I just want y' to be safe."

At that moment, Tino's eyes shot up at mine. I almost stumbled back at the fierce violet color meeting my sight. His mouth was slightly ajar as his expression showed he was confused. I was about to speak again to maybe explain it to him a little better, but my plans were abolished when his lips smashed against mine.

Tino and I have kissed many times before this, but none were more...determined than this one. This was more sharp than sweet, yet still held some form of love from what I could tell. I felt tears drip from his face onto my chin, as our lips slowly started to part. A quiet sob then reached my ears, as Tino fell into my chest.

Right when he rested his head onto my chest, he started to cry uncontrollably. I was so confused with the situation, but all I could do for now was hug him. I needed to be here for him, because I was most likely the reason he was crying.

I felt his arms wrap around my waist as he sobbed into my shirt for a while. His cries lasted for a bit until there was nothing except the sound of soft hiccuping and fast breathing. "I have a few more questions," his voice still brittle, stated.

"Ask 'way," I answered, still holding him, as I rocked us back and forth.

"Are we in Denmark mainly just to kill Emil, or to get married?" he asked, holding tightly to me.

I answered truthfully, "We planned t' have our wedding here first. Emil w's already coming at the same time also, an' King Kohler wanted t' just kill two birds with one stone."

"Ok," Tino breathed out, "And do I have to help kill Emil too?"

I sighed, "You know how King Kohler 's. Now that you know about the plan, you have t' be apart of 't. We aren't going t' kill him ourselves though. The King for some reason wants Matthias t' kill him, himself."

"Why?" Tino asked.

I only shrugged.

Tino then stood up and walked over to our bed. I followed him out of curiosity as to what he was doing. Tino then stopped in front of it, and sat down on the mattress. For a few seconds, he just stared off in silence, but the next moment later, he had his head in his hands, and was crying again.

I immediately sat down next to him and rubbed my hand around his back, "What 's it?"

"I just-," he cried into his hands, "Why Emil? He is nothing like his father! I have met him, and talked to him."

I stayed silent, letting him let it all out.

"You say he probably hates gays like his father right?" Tino asked, looking up, "I told him about us getting married, and he congratulated us! He even smiled a little. He is different!"

"It could be 'n act for all w' know. He could be a spy for 'is father-,"

"But what if he is not? What if he is the bright future for the Scandinavian kingdoms, and we are killing him? What if he and Matthias are meant to make things right between Denmark and Norway and we are ruining that chance?"

"I know very well that there are many possibilities, but this is the king giving orders t' me. I have no say against what he wants, and you know that. I am sorry, Tino, but I can't do anything about 't," I answered.

Tino's eyes were already bloodshot from crying, but he still looked more beautiful than anything I had ever seen before. "I trust you, Berwald," he finally said, looking down at the ground, "I just have on request."

"Yes?"

"I am going through with this too. But we are going to get married, and we are going to be nice to Emil in the mean time. When this whole plan is finished, though, I want both of us to be safe in Sweden, living out our days as a married couple with all this behind us, alright?"

I never wanted more in life then what he just described…"Of course."

~(Lukas' POV)~

"Where are we going?" I asked for about the tenth time in the last ten minutes. It was strange for him to think that I would just let him lead me blindly through the woods. In fact, why was I still letting him do this? He told me he was taking me to a secret, surprise location, but why was I trusting him?

It was dark, and I could barely see within two meters from my face, but that didn't stop Matthias from walking quickly around trees and bushes as he pulled me along to this secret location. I have been so close to running into a tree branch three times! He has almost ran into a tree about five times, too.

"Can you at least give me a hint, Matthias?" I asked, as he kept treading on.

"Hmm," he thought, "Ok! It has to do with color and the sky!"

Color and the sky…? The sky is black, and the only thing on it are little white dots that sparkle a little. I see no color worth going deep in the woods to see.

I stayed quiet, because no way was I going to guess what he was talking about. He was probably lying and I don't want to humiliate myself. Right then, we walked out of the woods and into a clearing. I was glad I didn't have to fear running into trees anymore, but where were we now?

The clearing was filled with green grass, and a hill was near the middle of it. It was a tall hill, but small all around.

"Are we going to have to climb up that?" I asked, looking up at the tall hill.

Matthias nodded excessively, as he answered, "Yep! Oh, but I can carry you up if you want!"

"No, no," I answered rather quickly, "I can do it myself, thank you."

"Ok!" Matthias answered. He started to walk towards the hill when I stopped him by yanking his hand back.

"What is it?" he asked.

"...Don't you think it would be easier to walk up a hill without holding hands with someone?" I asked him, awkwardly looking towards our hands that had been together for the last ten to twenty minutes or so.

He thought about it for a second, then looked up at me and said, "Sure, but thank you for holding it so far."

I shivered a little from the feeling that he gave me by thanking me for _that_. I was also freezing, and just noticed the temperature when I let go of his hand. He is extremely hot, temperature wise of course, for a guy in the winter. I really wish I brought a coat though, because I was feeling everything _but _heat now…

We soon made our way towards the hill, and walked up it. Well… Matthias ran up it, while I walked behind, earning a few remarks from him about how 'slow I was', and 'I was like and old man'.

When we both finally made it to the top, Matthias said, "The show hasn't started yet, but I guess in the meantime we can just talk!"

"What do you mean show?" I asked, as we both sat down on the grass.

"The Northern Lights! I like to come here to think, and afterwards I watch them. It truly is an amazing sight from here," he smiled.

The northern lights? I'm so confused…. I guess I will find out what they are in a second. Whatever they are, Matthias did seem to be pretty amazed by them.

"Ok," I said. I didn't want to say that I didn't know what they were, because if they were Northern, then Norway would most likely have them too.

"Great! Now let's talk~" he said, squealing just a bit out of delight. He was strange…

I stayed silent though, because I didn't want to be the one to have to start a conversation. Thankfully though, it wasn't a problem for him to start talking first.

"I have a question!" he said, blushing a little, "Why….don't you like kisses?"

"What?"

"Why don't you like kisses?" he repeated the question.

I hate everything about that word. That action. Everything that has to do with kissing. Why was he asking such a question? "...It's not that I don't _like_ kissing...though I don't….I just don't have a good experience with them," I answered truthfully. I was going to lead this guy to his death, so he did deserve a little truth from me. Even though it was a less descriptive truth.

Matthias pondered about this for a second. "Ok…" he finally said, still thinking, "So what if I give you a kiss and it is a good experience?"

"Please don't," I immediately said.

"Awe, why not?" Matthias whined, but then jumped, "Ooh! I have an idea~"

Before I could even ask what his idea was, he leaned over and kissed my shoulder.

"What the hell?" I asked him, as he broke away, and sat back down where he was. "What?" he asked, grinning. "What was that?" I asked. He shrugged, "Until you trust me to kiss you on the lips, I will kiss you everywhere else~"

...Again...he was _so_ strange. But I came up with a plan. "Fine," I said, "You can only do that if you tell me why you stormed off from the castle." I smiled a little out of how smart I was to make that deal.

The look on Mathias' face though, made my smile falter a little bit. For the first time since we met, he actually looked unhappy. "What is wrong?" I asked, when he stayed silent for long enough.

"It's-," he started, hesitating to speak as he tried to search for the right words, "Everyone is telling me things about… you… that I don't believe, and they won't even try to get to know you."

"What kinds of things are they saying?" I asked, generally curious if Emil was a bad person, or I just rubbed people wrong.

"They are saying that you are just like your father," he looked up at me, shyly, "They say that you are dangerous and you will betray me, but I know that's not true! Tino hasn't said anything. He gave you a chance, and he has seen how great you are, but Berwald and my dad hate the Norwegians. They hate your dad, and they think you are just like him."

"I'm not," I said, "I'm nothing like him, and I don't want to be." That was the truth. I hated the King of Norway. He is the reason why I hated myself and living for the first part of my life. Sure he is letting me have a taste of freedom, but he is making me kill someone for it. The only bad part is that this someone is treating me nicely when everyone is telling him that I shouldn't be trusted.

"Emil, are you crying?" Matthias asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. I lifted my hand up to my cheek, and actually felt a tear on it. I was crying? Why though? I don't understand.

I looked up at him, "I-I don't know why I am…?" Before I could think another thought, I felt arms, his arms, wrap around me.

"What are you-?" I tried to ask, but was cut off by him saying, "You are nothing like your father, Emil. Remember that, ok?"

I hesitated for a moment. He really did trust me. Here I was, claiming to be nothing like the King of Norway, when I was planning to selfishly kill Matthias for my freedom. But I shouldn't think about it. What am I going to do, tell him the truth? I may have a liking towards Matthias, but nothing is more important than my freedom. I have to remain calm, and keep reminding myself of that.

"O-ok," I answered, to make him stop hugging me. We needed to move on with the conversation, because I was cold and tired, and these Northern Lights needed to hurry up.

Matthias pulled away, smiling. "Do you ever miss the old days?" he asked, sitting back in his original position, "You know, where our kingdoms got along, and our dads were best friends."

"Yes," I said, not remembering the old days, but Emil probably would.

He smiled at me, "Before it all went down, you were about three years old I think? I was six and Lukas was five. Maybe you were too young to remember this, but we used to get into all kinds of trouble." He laughed, and started to play with a piece of grass.

I was just staring at him trying to process what he just said. Who was "Lukas?" I accidentally said out loud, still trying to think about how what I was thinking was too crazy to be true.

"Ya, he really did love you, you know. I know this is a touchy subject with him and all, but he was proud to be your big brother," he smiled. I smiled back at him a little. So Emil had an older brother? Matthias was speaking of him in past tense, so what happened to him? It was weird how his name was Lukas, also. Wait… was I named that on purpose? I'll have to ask Alfred and Arthur more questions about this big brother….

"But enough of that sad topic! Look up at the sky; the Northern Lights are about to start!" Matthias said interrupting me from my thoughts. Before I could protest, he forced my head up, and I saw a beautiful, yet small, green light dancing in the middle of the sky.

"Woah," I breathed out, as I watched it slowly start to grow bigger. I then felt a warm cloth wrap around me. I tensed up at first and quickly turned around, but just saw Matthias putting his fur shawl around me. "What are you doing?" I asked.

He shushed me politely, and said, "You seemed cold. It's fine, you can have it for the show," he smiled, "Also we are going to have to lay down in a second to get a better, comfortable view of the northern lights."

"But won't you get cold too?" I asked. It wasn't right to let him freeze when he was the one visibly going through stress right now.

"No, I'm fine!" he argued, laying down on the grass.

I stared at him for a second, then back at the northern lights which were starting to grow across the sky. And at that moment, a terrible yet possibly good idea crossed my mind.

"I am only doing this because I won't be able to enjoy the light show otherwise," I said, before I laid down next to him and wrap the fur shawl around both of us. I just knew that I was blushing like crazy, and I was too afraid to look up at Matthias to see if he was blushing too. Instead I just laid next to him and _tried_ to enjoy the lights without thinking about our position.

The lights truly were amazing. They were a mixture of colors ranging from blue and green to purple and pink. The lights danced around the sky in shapes and patterns that made it seem like it was dancing to beat in music. How was this even possible for the sky to create such art like that?

I felt Matthias' forearm and hand wrap around my waist, but I didn't do anything. I was way too tired and comfortable to move, so I let him have his way this time. All he did was that though. He didn't try to hug or kiss me or do anything I didn't want. And for that, I really am grateful.

After a while though, my tiredness started to creep up on me. My eyes started to draw heavy, and it was a major struggle just trying to keep them open a little. It was strange that I was falling asleep outside though.

Did Matthias usually do this when he went out here to watch the lights? Was he asleep now? I just don't think it is safe for someone to fall asleep outside without anything to protect them.

Well… I guess I do have Matthias. He has done this before, and he would know if it was dangerous. Matthias has been quiet for a while, so I assume he is asleep. I wrapped my arm around him for body heat purposes - because it really was freezing - and finally let my mind slowly drift off into darkness.

* * *

**_A/N: Well that was… something *_* Review for the next chapter!_**

**_I saw Jurassic World yesterday…. IT WAS AMAZING._**

**_That is all I have to say._**

**_NorwegianPilot17~_**


	9. Winter Schemes

**_A/N: Hey guys! I just wanted to let you guys know that I am leaving (Actually in five minutes lol) to go on a five day trip, so I will be unable to write the next chapter until the 23rd. So sorry, but enjoy this chapter!_**

**_I'd also like to give thanks to Mx Akiyata for helping me out with the bases of this chapter. Thank you so much! *chu_**

_Winter Schemes_

~(This whole chapter is in Denmark's POV)~

The Northern Lights were still decorating the sky, as I lay on the hill with Emil. Yet… the Northern Lights weren't what I thought was the most beautiful thing in front of me. It was Emil who was already asleep, resting his head on my shoulder with his arm wrapped around my waist.

I just wanted to hug him to death! But that would probably scare him since it did the last few times…. What was his problem with hugs anyway? Oh, well maybe it was the same as kissing. Just bad experience.

I wonder who gave him the bad experience, and what kind of "bad experience" was it? I swear if I ever find out who the person is, I am going to punch them. Multiple times. In the face. Nobody hurts Emil without paying my consequences.

Emil used to be such a happy kid. He would follow me and Lukas around everywhere he went, and there wasn't a moment that he stopped smiling or laughing. How could times change so much?

I looked down at the sleeping Emil, and smiled. When I was younger, I always thought that I'd end up with Lukas. See as we were best friends. Lukas thought it too, he just never would admit it. It's funny how much Emil looks like Lukas though. A grown up Lukas, of course.

If Lukas ever grew up, I'd imagine he looks exactly like Emil does now. The light blonde hair and blue eyes definitely a trait that Lukas once had. I thought Emil had more whitish hair. Well, he did at least have that color when he was three. I guess over time it just got darker…

I wonder what Lukas would think of our kingdoms if he was still here. Would he be like his father or would he be like Emil? I think he'd be like Emil. He was always shy and sometimes derisive, but I could always tell he was kindhearted.

Anyway, I shouldn't be thinking about this. It's been awhile since Lukas has come to my mind, but even still, the thought of him makes me feel so sad. Plus, I have Emil now! Wait… is it weird that I really like my old best friend's younger brother? … Oh well I don't care!

I smiled as I stared down at the sleeping Emil. He looked much more peaceful when he was asleep. He was actually almost… smiling as he nuzzled his face deeper into my shoulder. Of course, I have seen him smile before. (Only two or three times when it was actually real) But his smile just made me want to smile! In fact, I am smiling! He just makes me so happy, and I want to be around him all the time.

Maybe after his visit, he can visit more. I hope he is enjoying this as much as I am, because I really do want to spend the rest of my life with him! And if he doesn't want to know me in that way, then we can at least be friends! Ooh! Maybe even best friends!

I mean… Berwald has Tino now, so who do I have? Emil just brings me back to the good times, when happiness was a real thing between our kingdoms. Hopefully someday, he and I can make things go back to the way they were.

I smiled at the thought, but then realized it was getting really late, and we should probably start heading back. I looked down at Emil who was still sleeping. I _really_ didn't want to wake him up…

Who am I to wake up someone so at peace? Growing up without a mom or older brother and a father that was cruel to most people, he probably hasn't had any peace in ages. That's it. I will not wake him up! I am carrying him back.

It may take thirty minutes to walk back, and longer carrying the weight, but I will do anything for him! I slowly started to shimmy out from under him, lightly resting his head on the grass, so I could get up.

He rolled back over onto his back still seeming asleep. He really did look beautiful while sleeping, which was weird, because I never thought it was possible for someone to look so good while unconscious!

I slid my arms under his back and legs, and I gathered up the strength to pick him up. Then… well let's just say that I really didn't need any strength at all. He weighed absolutely nothing at all! I think the only thing that was making him weigh anything was my shawl that was wrapped around him. Did he not eat much? Or maybe he just had a fast metabolism... He ate a lot today, so of course he is not skipping meals. I'll just go with the fact that he has a fast metabolism! I hope it is that. If anyone was mistreating him in any way, I will make them regret it for the rest of their life.

I decided to let it go _for now _because even the lightest things could start to get heavy. I started to walk down the hill and back towards the castle. Hopefully everyone would be asleep by the time I got back. I really don't feel like getting into a conversation with Berwald or my father.

The walk back was pretty with the Northern Lights lighting my way home. Though he wasn't actually talking, with Emil, I felt less lonely than I usually do when walking back. The castle guards let me in quickly, and I started to walk up to his bedroom.

So far, the castle was quiet, so that meant my dad was asleep. I am sure Tino would have wanted Berwald to go to bed a while ago, so just maybe I was in the clear. I quietly walked into Emil's room, still carrying him.

I rested him on his bed, and wrapped my shawl tighter around him. I then tucked him under his blankets too, because this really was a cold night. When I felt like he was unconsciously comfortable enough, I finally let myself feel tired too.

I bent over and placed a kiss on Emil's forehead, and wished him goodnight. If anyone was watching, they'd probably think me weird for wishing goodnight to an unconscious person, but I didn't care. Unconscious or not, I was going to wish him a goodnight.

After I made sure (for a second time) that he was comfortable, I turned around and started to walk back to my room. It was late, and I was really tired. Who knew carrying someone for a couple miles would make you want to go to bed! Just kidding! I think everyone knows that...

I went back into my room, closing the door as I stepped inside. All the lights were out except for a few candles on the table beside my bed. I started to take off my boots, when I heard a noise behind me. I slowly started to grab a sword from one of my shelves, as I heard footsteps start to approach me from behind.

I quickly swerved back around, pointed my sword in the direction of the sound. Standing right at my sword point, was Berwald. He had his hands lifted in the air, and they were seemingly empty. "What are you doing?" I asked, lowering my sword. I may be mad at him, but he was no threat. I trusted him with my life.

He lowered both of his hands, and replied, "I have come here to inform you about something."

I placed the sword back on my shelf, and sat down on my bed. "And that is…?" I asked.

He nodded, answering, "First off… I would like to say I am sorry for earlier. You will understand what our fight was for in the next few minutes though."

"Look, Berwald," I interrupted, "I like Emil. I think he is nothing like his father, he is not a threat, and he most certainly is not out to kill me. There is nothing that can change your mind, alright?" I was trying to say this all in the nicest way possible, but the fact that he didn't even give Emil a chance made me so angry.

Berwald continued, "I know. I was never wanting to change your mind. I just thought that I could maybe make the pain of this news I am about to tell you, more bearable."

"What is it?" I asked. I was sick of him trying to explain what he hasn't even told me yet.

Berwald sighed at my ambitiousness, and said, "Your father, the king… wants you to kill Prince Emil."

"What?" I asked, hesitating if I should stand up or stay sitting, "You have to be kidding, this has to be some joke!"

"This is sadly not…" Berwald replied, looking down at the ground.

I looked up. This was serious? They wanted me to kill Emil? They actually thought I would?

"What if I don't?" I asked.

"What?"

"What if I choose not to kill Emil? What do you guys think you are going to do?"

"Your father says he will kill Emil, himself, while you watch. He will also declare war on Norway, and we both know that many lives would be lost in that. And if he is the one killing Emil, I'm sure he will find a way to make it painful enough for you to wish you were the one killing him and giving him mercy."

I thought about this. Berwald had a point. I just couldn't see why he had to be on my father's side in the first place. What was in it for him? I had no time to think about reasons for anything. I had to think about how to save Emil _without _a bunch of people dying. I started to feel hot tears threaten to fall from my eyes.

Why was I crying? I am angry and confused and… sad. But not a normal sad, I felt like I just built something and someone crashed through it right when it was about to be finished. This was exactly what I was going through right now. I hadn't felt this sad since the war of Norway and Denmark. That was when everyone I loved died...including the man my father used to be.

"I hate him!" I yelled standing up. I walked over to Berwald, "I hate him, I hate you, I hate this all!"

I brought back my hand, clenching it in a fist, and pushed Berwald back into a wall. Berwald did absolutely nothing as I prepared to punch him. Did he know how much he deserved this? Did he know how he was destroying me by doing this?

With full speed, I started to bring my fist back down to impact his face, but right before I could, I heard a sound that made me stop everything.

I looked at the door, and saw Tino. Tino had tears in his eyes, as he stood there.

"Please, Matthias… Don't do this. Berwald doesn't want to do it anymore than you do!" he cried, practically shaking as tears ran down his face. Why was he crying? He wasn't going through anything. If he was part of this plan too, then he obviously didn't care about Emil enough to cry.

I lowered my fist, "So… Tino is in on this too, huh?" I laughed, and looked down. "The two people I trusted most in this world- My two best friends, working with my father? Forcing me to kill Emil for nothing?" I started to laugh just to keep myself from crying, and punching Berwald in the face in front of Tino.

Berwald was about to speak, but I interrupted him. I didn't want to hear his sorry excuses anymore. "Just stop," I said, stepping back from him, "You really can't trust anyone nowadays, can you? Everyone's trying to kill everyone. And I just love how everyone is trying to kill the most innocent person here…"

"Well tell the king this," I continued before any of them could say anything, "I will kill Emil if that's what he wants. But when I become king, he's going to be remembered as the bastard that finally burned in Hell after years of ruining our Kingdom."

I then stormed out of the room. Both had different expressions. Tino was sad and still crying, while Berwald was as nostalgic as ever. He looked angry, but I didn't feel like his anger was towards me.

Where could I go when they were in my room? To be honest, all I felt like doing was drowning myself in beer. And that was exactly what I was going to do.

I knew where my dad's stash of alcohol was, and let's just say, I was going to drink it all. Whatever it took to get this aching feeling out of me. I walked into the kitchen, opening up a cupboard to find his stash of beer.

I picked up the first jug of beer, and started to chug it. Though it burned my throat, it felt good to start getting my mind off of Emil. I just couldn't think about all of this right now. I felt so many emotions, and I wanted to numb every last one of them.

Before long, I was just drinking jug after jug of beer. My vision was hazy, and my thoughts were mixed around my brain. After every beer jug I drank, I'd smash it against the wall, causing it to shatter on to the floor. This was actually starting to get fun! I didn't even remember why I came here and started drinking in the first place, but I kept drinking beer, because that was the only thing on my mind right now.

**_A/N: Sorry this chapter was so short. I barely had any time this week. Is sorry this chapter was so choppy and fast moving, but it is so hard to write in Denmark's POV! I have gotten so used to Norway! But don't worry, next chapter is Norway's POV again._**

**_Just review for the next chapter!_**

**_NorwegianPilot17_**


	10. Winter Struggle

**_A/N: BruhBruhBruhBruhBruh. I am on the ride home from my trip thingy, and it was so much fun! That's all I have to say, to be honest. I hope you guys had a great week, and the wait wasn't too bad._**

**_As always, I would like to thank Mx Akiyata. They are the Captain to my America, and they help me so much with this story. *chu_**

**_Btw, there is a special someone appearing at the end of this chapter. I'm so excited to finally bring him into the story! :3 :3 :3 _**

_Winter Struggle_

~(Lukas' POV)~

I woke up to the sound of glass shattering. I sat up on my bed and looked out the window, seeing that the sun wasn't out yet. At first, I didn't remember what happened, but when it all came back to me, I was confused. How did I get back here? Did Matthias bring me back?

Another sound of glass shattering against a wall, separated me from my thoughts. I looked towards my door. The sound seemed far away enough for me to at least walk to Matthias room, and tell him about it, if he wasn't already taking care of the sound.

The only reason I was worried about the sound, was because I used to hear it when I was trapped in the dungeon of Norway. I would hear it from when the King left me to when the King came back. Was he here? I shuddered at the idea.

I jumped out of my bed and ran towards the door. I really needed to get Matthias. He had weapons in his room, and I know he will protect me from the King. I felt myself starting to shake, as I made my way to his room in the darkness.

Tears started to fill my eyes, as I felt my hand along on the wall, trying to find the door knob. I didn't want the King to take me away from here so soon. Right when I found the doorknob, I heard footsteps stumble behind me.

I turned around, ready to scream for Matthias, but then realized that I was staring directly into his eyes. "Matthias?" I questioned, a rush of relief passing over me.

Matthias' hands were covered in cuts that were bleeding out onto a bottle of liquid in his hands. He looked like he had been crying, and he was sweating all over.

He laughed, and stared at the floor, a few tears falling down his face, "Emil…"

"What happened? Did you hear the sounds too?" I asked, gradually getting closer to him.

"I woke you up, didn't I?" he asked, looking down at the bottle in his hands.

"Were you the one creating the noise?" I held my hands together to prevent them from shaking anymore. It didn't work, but I still felt more stable. Why was he making noises so similar to the King's?

Matthias nodded his head, and replied, "Emil… I love you." He then took a giant step closer to me, causing me to stumble, taking a few steps back.

He had said that he loved me before, but it was more playful. This was harsh, and I felt like I was back in that dungeon with the king all over again. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes. This was all too familiar.

I tried to step back more, but he grabbed my wrist. "Listen to me!" he yelled, while crying. He took another mouthful of the liquid that smelled like what the King used to drink. My wrists started to hurt because of how tightly he was grabbing them.

"I am," I cried, still trying to break free from his grasp. I never should have trusted him. Is everyone like this? How could I have been so stupid?

He put his hand on my back, pulling me closer. I could now smell the terrible liquid on his breath. What had gotten into him? I cried as he held me, trapped, against him, hoping that this all was just a dream.

"I love you Emil," he yelled while crying, "I love you so much, but no one else does!" He sobbed onto my shoulder. I couldn't concentrate on what he was saying through my own tears. How could he be doing this? I was so confused, and I wanted to be anywhere else but here right now.

I tried to control my tears, as he started to move his hands up to my head. "You love me too, right?" he asked, tears still falling down his face. I nodded, because the King did the exact same thing to me. He would ask me if I loved him, and if I said yes, the torture would be a lot less worse than what it would be if I said no to him. Was Matthias going to torture me too?

Matthias smiled, and said, "Now say it."

"What?" I choked out, looking at the ground.

"Say that you love me. I can't have anyone else lie to me, Emil."

"I...I love you," I said, looking up at him. The truth is, I didn't love him. I hated him right now. I hated him for betraying the little trust I had. I hated him for acting like the King and forcing me to say such a lie. I hated everything about him.

He smiled, as more tears escaped his eyes, "I'm so glad to hear that, Emil." He started to lean in dangerously close for my comfort. His eyes were a darker blue than usual, and before I knew it, his bloody hands roughly grabbed my hair, forcing me to look up at him.

Before I could yell for help or ask him what he was doing, his lips smashed against mine. My eyes widened, as he pulled me closer into the kiss. In that one second, I felt like my whole world crashed and fell down before my eyes.

I tried to break free, but I was truly trapped. My head was being held roughly by his hand, my wrists were being held together by the other, and I was shaking too much to move my legs. I felt like I was going to collapse any second now. I could barely breathe as he started to kiss me more violently. When was he going to stop? Will he drag me down to a dungeon, and will I be held captive by him like in Norway?

Was this just what I was supposed to be in life? Was I nothing more than someone for people to use when they were feeling sad or angry? I started to cry more as he was starting to move his tongue across my lips. I shut my mouth as tight as possible. Why wouldn't he just let me go?

He took a short break, and finished his bottle of liquid. He threw it to the wall behind me, and I winced as I heard glass shatter to the floor. "You aren't kissing back," he stated, as his dark blue eyes stared deep into mine.

"Please stop," I said, closing my eyes. If there was some part of him that was there a few hours ago, then maybe he would let me be. I could feel him staring me down. I felt so broken. And by someone whom I trusted, made this whole situation even worse. I wanted to fall down and cry, but now was not the time.

I heard him start to get closer, and my eyes shot open. I couldn't let this terrible feeling happen again. "Stop!" I screamed, stepping back from him. The white of his eyes were now a light red color, as more tears started to fall down his face.

He did stop though. He looked angry and sad and confused. He started to speak, but I interrupted him, "Stop talking! Stop- just, Get away from me!" I screamed. I didn't want to be anywhere near him right now.

My breaths started to come out quicker as I was shaking more and more. What was happening to me? I want to cry badly, but I couldn't let my guard down in front of him. I heard a pair of footsteps round the corner to us. I looked over to see Tino and Berwald walking quickly towards us.

Were they also going to try and- and kiss me? I stepped back away from everyone, to the point where I was cornered. Tears started to fall down my face, and my head was started to hurt from holding my sobs in.

"Emil are you ok?" Tino asked, cautiously walking closer to me. Berwald ran over to Matthias who was now screaming into his shoulder, yelling something that I couldn't hear. So Tino and Berwald were normal, but why was Matthias acting like that? Too much chaos was going on for me to think right.

Tino's look of worry started to grow, as he stepped closer. I needed to get out of here. "What happened?" he asked, as his hand started to lift. It got closer to my shoulder, like he was going to rest it there, but I flinched in time for him to just miss me.

He retracted his hand quickly. "Don't touch me!" I yelled, glancing over at Matthias every few seconds, to make sure he wasn't coming near me.

Before any of them could stop me, I took off running. I ran into my room, and slammed the door shut behind me, locking it, so they couldn't get in. I leaned against the door just in case any of them tried to force their way in. I wasn't that strong, but it would be better than nothing holding the door closed.

How could everything get so bad in such a short amount of time? My jagged breaths didn't get slower as I slid down the door to sit against it. I heard yelling coming from outside of my door, but I couldn't tell what anyone was saying due to the ringing in my ears.

When footsteps started to take the sound of yelling away from me, I concluded that they had all left. Since I was safe now, I let myself cry. I ended up bursting into tears as soon as I knew I was alone. "Why me?" I found myself saying, between sobs. Sometimes I would yell the phrase out, or just say it in a faint whisper.

"Why can't I escape it?" I cried to myself, putting my head in my hands.

I never wanted to see that bastard again. He is a lying, trust betraying, jerk that sees me as nothing more than some kind of whore, just like the king does! I am nothing more than that. I try to be, but in the end, that is what people make me. I can't escape it!

"I can't escape it," I said over and over again, shaking and crying, as I brought my knees up to my chest.

The taste of the foul liquid he was drinking still lingered on my lips, as I cried into my knees. I brought my fingers up to my lips, and I tried to rub the taste and smell off, but it wouldn't go away. The same feeling spread through me like when the king would do this.

I closed my eyes, trying to escape this nightmare. God, I wish it was just a nightmare. I thought that I had a new winter song. I thought I would have a new chorus, a new verse, maybe even a new bridge, but it was all the same. I was still crying myself to sleep, I was still being taken advantage of, and I still… will never find a new song.

Still crying, I let my mind go to rest. I hope I never wake up. I wish the darkness will take me, and I stay there. Away from Matthias, or Tino, or Berwald, or the king. There is nothing for me here. I am nothing to anyone, and it will always be like that.

Even though there were many thoughts going around in my head, I fell asleep quickly.

~(***)~

I woke up to the sound of knocking on my door. I looked up and was greeted by bright rays of sun, shining through my window. What time was it? I looked around me, and saw my tear stained hands. It didn't take long for everything that happened last night to flood back into my mind.

"...Norge?" I heard the voice of Matthias say hesitantly at the door. It had been awhile since he used that nickname…. Did he… want to kiss me again?

I stayed silent, praying that he would just go away. I closed my eyes, and leaned my head against the door. There were three more knocks that came through the door before I heard his voice again, "Emil, I know you can hear me… I just wanted to let you know that I'm so sorry. Berwald told me everything just a few minutes ago when I woke up, and I immediately ran over here."

I hesitated on if I should answer. Why was he seriously sorry? He was in control of his actions, and should have known it would hurt me. He was obviously tricking me to come out. I tried to compose myself as I replied, "I don't believe you."

Silence was what came between us for a few moments. I then heard him slide down the door and sit on the other side to the point where we would have been back to back if there wasn't a door separating us.

"At least I know you are here listening to me," I heard him say. I could almost hear his sad smile as he said those words.

I nodded my head even though he couldn't see me.

"...You know I was drunk, right? I would have never done anything to hurt you in any way if I was sober."

"What is drunk?" I demanded, leaning my head against the door and looking up to keep my eyes from watering.

"What?" Matthias asked, confused, but still continued, "Drunk means that I drank too much beer or any kind of alcohol, and I lost control over my thoughts and actions… Do you really not know what drunk is?"

...Was this true? He was drunk? Was the King always drunk then? I shook my head, mumbling, "No…" I probably should have thought about if being drunk was something obvious before asking what it was.

I heard Matthias sigh on the other end of the door, "Well you have to believe me," he said, "I don't even remember what I did, because I had no control over my mind. I hate myself for hurting you in any way Emil! You have to trust me on that."

He really did sound sorry, but the little trust I had in him was lost the moment he...kissed me. I clinched my fists and tried my best to keep from crying. Why was I crying so much?

"...Emil?" I heard from the other side of the door.

"Don't call me that!" I yelled without thinking. I hated pretending. I hated that he was pretending to care about what he did to me, I hated pretending like this was going to be ok, and I hated pretending to be this stupid prince that couldn't take care of business himself.

I shut my mouth as soon as the words came out though. I started to think of excuses I could say as to why I didn't want him to call me by my name… Getting him killed is my only chance of escaping this type of life, and I can't mess up my chances in any way.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I…" I thought of something that might work, "Don't call me just Emil. We are not friends, and we never will be. You are to call me Prince Emil only."

I didn't want to be his friend anymore. He was someone who betrayed my trust and took advantage of me. Any feelings I had for him before, left when he forcefully kissed me.

"What?!" he exclaimed, "Norge…"

"Don't call me that either," I snapped at him.

He ignored me, "Look… Please… I just want things to go back to the way they were. Why can't you see that it wasn't me who kissed you last night?"

"I did see who kissed me last night, and it was you. It was the same lips that promised me they would never treat me like that."

"I didn't know what I was doing though!"

"You still lost my trust."

"Please Norge," I heard a sniffle on the other side, "Please just give me another chance. I know what I did was wrong, and I truly am sorry, but I need you to trust me for that apology to work."

I hesitated on if I should even answer. I stayed silent for what felt like an hour. I wanted to forgive him. I felt like he was becoming my favorite friend over the past two days… I even trusted him with my life before last night happened!

A sound so familiar started to come from the other side of the door. I heard the sound of almost completely silent crying.

...Was Matthias crying? Why was he the one crying? I was the one whose trust was betrayed.

"Matthias?" I asked, wondering if he was just faking a cry to get me to care for him.

I heard a quick sniffle, and then a laugh. A fake laugh. "Ya Prince Emil?"

"Are you ok?" Why was I still talking to him? I hated him! I didn't care about him!

He fake laughed again, "Of course I am! You're right though… I really did mess things up big time, didn't I?"

I was so confused. He was crying… I could hear him, but he was fake laughing for me.

That's it. I am probably going to regret what I am about to do, but it was worth a try. I got up and faced the door that was separating us. All it took was just one turn of the doorknob, and I could find out if things could ever be the same between us.

I put my hand on the doorknob slowly, but quickly opened the door. Before me was Matthias, who was shaking as he cried into his knees. I awkwardly stood there, not knowing if I should say anything. What should I say in this situation?

Turns out, I didn't need to say anything though. Matthias looked up at me with tears still rolling down his cheeks. He wiped his eyes and looked back at the ground, sniffling, "Are you going to go back to Norway?"

I couldn't even if I wanted to.

"Get up," I said, leaning on the door. I hated crying. Especially if I was the one that caused it. "What?" he asked, though he was already starting to get up off the ground. I waited until he was standing straight up in front of me.

He wasn't too much taller than me, but I still had to tilt my head upwards to stare into his eyes. I can't believe I was about to do this… "I… forgive you," I said looking down at the ground. I fixed my hair out from in front of my eyes, as my cheeks started to heat up.

I heard him gasp out of surprise. I looked up at him to see his reaction, but before my eyes could make it to his face, I felt his arms wrap tightly around me. I was already regretting this.

We both stumbled back a little, due to his strength and my weakness. "Thank you so much, Norge, you have no idea how happy I am," he said, still hugging me.

At this point, I was deciding whether I should punch him in the gut to get off of me, or hug him back. I did forgive him, but I didn't trust him as much as I used to. I resolved on just giving him a half hug.

"Get off of me," I said simply. Sure, it was rough, but it was better than punching him off of me like I was originally planning to do. Matthias obeyed, and stepped away from me. "Sorry," he muttered a little. "You're ...fine," I answered, but there was something about him that I didn't like at the moment, "Stop frowning." I ended up saying, without thinking.

"What?" he asked.

"Smile," I said, sure that a blush was probably spreading across my face, "I like it better when you are happy…." I looked down at the ground as an attempt to hide my pink cheeks, but out of the corner of my eye, I could see his smile appear on his face again.

"Thanks Norge," he laughed. I felt the corners of my lips start forming a smile. I was about to turn around, because I was still mad at him, and I needed him to see that, but he hugged me again before I could.

To be honest, I didn't want to make him to stop hugging me this time. This was the usual Matthias that was hugging me, and I liked it. I slowly brought my hands up, and wrapped my arms around him. I realized that he wasn't like the King. He did something that the king would never do. He said 'sorry'. He didn't mean it, and he actually cared about me. I had the old Matthias back.

And it was good to feel safe again.

~(Emil's POV)~

I walked along the cold stone built hallway of the castle. I did this every night on my way to check on my father in his throne room. Some nights he would be there, half drunk, and most nights he was nowhere to be found. This is how it always has been ever since I can remember.

As I started to get closer to his throne room, I started to hear two voices speaking to one another. One was the voice of my father, and one was his servant, whom he trusted even more than me. There was more blackmail than trust in their relationship though.

She worked for him and talked to him for a fair amount of pay, but if she were to say anything about her job outside of work, both her and her family would pay the price of death. I know this, because he did it to his last servant.

I paused before going into his room, to try and hear the conversation they were having. I rested my head against the door and listened:

"Speak to me, servant," I heard him say, venom audible in his words.

A moment of hesitation passed between them, before she asked, "Why couldn't Emil go, himself?"

What? Where am I supposed to be? I listened on…

"Because," he said, annoyed, "For the things I am asking Lukas to do, it would risk his life."

"Won't this plan risk your life? What if he befriends them and tells them everything? People will put two and two together, and discover that your dead son really isn't dead! It could ruin you!"

Wait what? I had to reprocess that in my brain for a second. My dad has another son? I mean… I know that, but he is dead. And the woman said that his dead son really isn't dead. Wait…

I replayed the conversation again in my mind. Lukas. Lukas? I had to step away from the door. My hands were shaking. Was Lukas, my brother, still alive? How long has my dad known? Why has he been hiding it from me? Why haven't I been able to speak to Lukas yet?

To keep myself from making admittedly odd noises, I covered my mouth with my hand. I had to speak to Lukas right away! Where has he been all this time? How did he survive his death? Well… I will have to learn how to rephrase that question later, but this is great!

I listened just a bit more to see if I could find out any more information.

"He doesn't know anything about who he is, so there is no way he could possibly ruin me. I could just say he was an imposter, and have him killed. Simple as that!"

I heard a sigh come from the servant woman, "You are right as always… What are you going to do once Lukas has successfully brought back Prince Matthias?"

"I'm going to kill that bratty prince, and Lukas will go back to where he belongs in that dungeon. Then I could make it look like Matthias was going back to Denmark, and died at sea. No one would know anything," he explained.

I stepped back from the door. I think I had heard enough. Lukas didn't even know who he was? Does he not even remember me? How is that possible? I had to see him, and tell him about everything. I also had to stop him from bringing the Prince of Denmark back here. Norway really cannot afford another war, so what is my dad thinking?

I quickly started to run down the hallway towards the stairs that led down to the entrance of the castle. Soldiers gathered around the door didn't even have a chance to ask me where I was going, before I ran past them towards the harbor.

Lukas was for sure in Denmark, right? That would be awkward if he wasn't. What if this was all a trick, just because my dad knew I was listening through the door? It wasn't too late to back down…

No.

It's been so many years that I believed my brother was dead, and I wasn't going to let a possibility of him being alive pass. And if he is alive, I am going to make sure my father gives me an explanation for hiding him from the world and lying to all of us.

It didn't take long for me to find a boat and convince a group of Vikings to secretly take me to Denmark. Vikings weren't exactly at best terms with my dad, so they were willing to do anything behind his back.

It took that night and half a day to get to the harbor closest to the Danish kingdom. I could barely sleep throughout the trip just thinking about what my brother would be like after all of these years.

Was he tall? What color were his eyes again? Would he remember me, or would everything be awkward between us? Was he funny or smart like he was before he "died"? Oh, and I just couldn't wait to see his smile again!

When we arrived in Denmark, I quickly climbed off the boat, and started to make my way off the dock. How was I going to get to him? I couldn't just waltz up to the castle and ask for Emil, could I? Hmm…

No! That was out of the question. If he hasn't been found out yet, then that would totally give him away. Who would I say I am?

Then it hit me. Lukas had to have gotten here somehow! Maybe the ship and the crew he came with were still here! Without even thinking about how I would stay in contact with the Vikings, I started to run up the dock to the only non-Danish boat resting here.

It was a pirate ship, so it was probably English. I doubt my dad would send Lukas over here on a pirate ship, but it was the only possible option. I had to take my chances.

I slowly started to make my way up the dock to the pirate ship. I was praying they were nice pirates… Was there such thing? I started to get anxious. I have heard so many scary stories of pirates. Lukas used to tell my stories about them all the time. That is one thing that I remember very well.

I snapped out of my thoughts when two blonde hair boys appeared in my sights. They were sitting on the railing of the ship, just talking. They were laughing and smiling, one more than the other, so they at least looked friendly.

I crossed my fingers that they knew Lukas, and made my way up to the ship.

"Hello?" I called up to them.

They both simultaneously looked down at me.

"Hi!" One said excitedly, "Oh, Arthur, let me try your thingy! How may we help you, love~?"

The other one started to laugh, but quickly recovered by frowning at the one who just spoke, "If you are talking about my accent, then you are terrible at it, and if you are talking about my politeness, then it wouldn't be terrible for you to start trying that out more."

The boys laughed, but quickly turned their attention to me.

"Who might you be?" the one with the English accent asked.

"I, um," I hesitated on what to say next. They probably think Lukas is me since he is coming here in my place. "My name is Lukas? I just need help finding Emil," I asked them.

They both looked at each other for a second, then down at me, then at each other. The English boy finally said to me, "Is it alright if you come up here to talk to us? Uh…I take it you are the real Prince Emil?"

Both of them smiled sheepishly at me. They knew the truth? They probably know how I can get to Lukas too if they know that! I started to climb the ladder to the top deck of the ship.

I couldn't believe it! After so many years of believing Lukas was dead, and I was never going to see him again, I could! He was alive and well and I was going to get to see my big brother soon!

**_A/N: It is 3 AM right now…. But I finished this chapter. It is super long to make up for last week's super short chapter! Your welcome, eyyyyyee!_**

**_Please Review for the next chapter!_**

**_~NorwegianPilot17 _**


	11. Winter Snow

**_A/N: Sorry this chapter came so late. It's just with the whole July 4_****_th_****_ weekend and all, everything was super crazy. But here it is! _**

**_Enjoy :3_**

_Winter Snow_

~(Emil's POV)~

"So you're telling me… that Lukas is actually your brother?" Alfred asked me, a look of both confusion and amazement spread across his face.

"Yes," I repeated for what felt like the millionth time. Alfred had probably asked me that same question thirty times now.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, standing up from his chair, "Artie, this is amazing! Lukas has a brother, and it is the prince he is pretending to be of all people!"

"Say it louder, why don't you?" Arthur replied, pushing him back into his chair.

Over the past few hours, I had gotten very acquainted with the two boys, learning that Arthur was a pirate and Alfred was just a prisoner he had once, but took a liking to. At first, they told me that they were just friends, but when I told them my story, they admitted that they were lovers.

Both of them were a little older than Lukas, and knew about him working for my dad to play the part of me. They did know why he was doing this, so I stayed silent about the real plan. Even at a young age, Lukas was super smart, and if he didn't tell them why he was here, then I wouldn't either.

"But does he really think he has no family?" I asked, already thinking of possible reasons of why Lukas could have forgotten everything.

Arthur thought for a moment. Then he nodded, saying, "He told us that all he had ever known was darkness. He saw daylight for the first time just a few days ago. By the look on his face, there is no way he was lying."

I nodded, taking all the information in. What did my dad do to him? "Ok… I want to see him as soon as possible though. I need to tell him everything, so thank you so much for your time," I said, starting to get out of my chair to leave.

I don't know how I was going to get to him, but I was going to have to find out quickly. I couldn't go by the name Lukas anymore, too. The King of Denmark would get suspicious, and eventually find us out.

"You are not going to go now, are you?" I was snapped out of my thoughts by Alfred asking me that question.

"What?" I asked him back, confused.

"Well," he replied, "You can't just march up to the castle and ask for Lukas or Emil or whatever. Seeing the two of you together, the Danish royals would see that you two look so much like the old Lukas and Emil that they would know something's up."

"You do have a point…" I admitted, sitting back down in my seat.

What was I going to do now?

"Lukas does visit us often though," Arthur added, "He asks us questions about stuff he doesn't get about the world. It is amazing how much he doesn't know. He should come here one of these days, and you can talk to him then."

"Ok… thank you. Do you two know of any places I can stay until then?" I asked them. I didn't have any money with me, but I knew pirates weren't just going to let me stay with them on their ship for a few days. Maybe they knew people in Denmark that wouldn't mind me staying at their home, or I could even catch up with the Vikings that got me here and stay with them.

I looked at Alfred and Arthur to see Alfred with a confused expression on his face while Arthur looked like he was thinking of places for me to stay.

"What do you mean? You can stay with us if you'd like!" Alfred exclaimed, smiling as he said it.

Arthur stopped thinking for a moment at this. He turned to Alfred and said, "No he can't."

"Why not?" Alfred whined.

"Because, if either of the Danish or Norwegian Kings find out that we are harboring an important piece of a master plan, then we are dead men, and I can't risk losing you. There is a family affair going on between these two kingdoms, and I don't want us to get caught in the middle of it."

Alfred thought about this for a moment. He then smiled a little, and replied, "Artie… I don't want to lose you either, but Emil doesn't want to lose Lukas too. And who says the Kings are going to find out? The good guys always win, and to me, we and Emil and Lukas are the good guys."

Arthur rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but laugh a little. He said to Alfred, "You've always been so much more confident than me…." He looked at me, then back at Alfred, thinking. It felt like forever before he finally said, "Alright, Emil can stay with us."

Alfred started to cheer as I smiled a little. I didn't want to come off as childish or something. I was way younger than them, and the last thing I wanted was for them to look down on me.

"But!" Arthur said, cutting the cheering Alfred off, "Emil, if anything goes wrong, Alfred is my first priority. This is more dangerous than you probably think, but I will help you get to Lukas up to a certain point in all of this, ok?"

"Yes, thank you," I replied, trying to contain my excitement. To be honest, just having help at all was more than enough. I can't believe this plan is actually going my way!

~(Lukas' POV and Time Skip)~

"I'm just saying, when I'm King, I'm getting a dog!" Matthias laughed as he laid back in his chair. I smiled as he kept on laughing, "Why don't you just get one now?" I asked.

"Because," he smiled, "My dad says that they shouldn't be trusted. Something about them soon evolving into something greater than humans. I really don't get him sometimes," he laughed a little.

I nodded and went back to eating my meal.

It was four in the afternoon, but we had gotten home late from ice fishing. It was a boring process to get the fish, but we talked about so many things in just four hours. After a while, we both started to get too cold, and decided to end our fishing adventure. We did end up catching two fish though! We each caught one fish, and that was what we were eating now.

Matthias prepared the fish for the both of us, and we were eating it in the kitchen while Berwald and Tino were out deciding a few more details for the wedding. Tino was really nervous while Berwald was calm like normal. It was funny how Tino kept going on and on about how the wedding was in just a week.

It had been three days since the kiss incident, and to be honest, it didn't really bother me anymore. I mean, it still bothered me, and if he ever kissed me again, I would get one of his long daggers and kill him myself, but it didn't bother me as much as when it happened.

I actually trusted Matthias again. I know it didn't take long for him to gain my trust back, but with him being his normal self, I could feel safe again.

"So," Matthias said, eating some of his fish, "Are you going to Berwald and Tino's wedding?"

I shrugged, "Over the past few days, I have gotten to know them well, but I was not invited. I can't just intrude on their wedding."

"What? Tino invited you when you first arrived! And if that doesn't count, I could ask for a plus one on my invite."

"You'd do that for me?" I questioned him.

He smiled, "Of course! You are my best friend. Why wouldn't I?"

I froze for a second. I was his best friend? I mean… he was my best friend too, but I never thought he would actually think I was good enough to be a best friend. I was always told that I had no expression, and people would hate me, but he didn't.

In fact, quite frequently he would tell me he loved me. Thinking about it, Arthur and Alfred are my friends too, and they don't hate me, I think. Tino and Berwald also don't hate me if they invited me to their wedding. Why would the King lie to me about this?

"Emil? Emil!" the words spoken by Matthias snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up at him, as he was staring worriedly at me.

"Are you ok?" he asked, "You kind of spaced out there for a moment."

I ate another bite of my fish, and said, "No, I'm fine. I just have never been anyone's best friend before."

"Oh…" he said, nodding as he looked at the table. He then smiled, and opened his mouth to say something, but something behind him made my heart stop.

"What is that?" I asked, horrified, as I looked out the window at this white stuff falling from the sky. What is going on? Was the sky falling?! I got up from my chair and walked over to the window. Matthias followed me with his eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked before getting up. When he followed me, I heard him ask, "What's out there?"

I looked at him, surprised that he seriously wasn't noticing that pieces of the sky were falling or something. What was going on? Was this normal? "Do you really not notice the white stuff falling from the sky?"

He looked at me, a bit confused, then peered out the window, "You mean the snow?" he asked.

"The snow?" I repeated.

"Ya! Do you seriously not know what snow is?" he questioned, but not with his playful tone. I could hear his voice actually change to a more confused, serious, and almost suspicious sound. Snow was probably something that was very known, so I had to get myself out of this deep hole.

"I do, it just caught me by surprise," I quickly said. It was the only thing I could think of on the spot. How long was it going to keep falling from the sky? Were we going to be buried in it? What was it made of? With the snow, would I still be allowed to go outside?

Matthias looked at me for a second, face matching his previous tone. He probably didn't believe me, did he? I started to hesitate on whether or not I should say more, but then he smiled, shaking his head, "Winter is pretty early this year, isn't it?"

I nodded my head, silently praising the fact that he believed me. "Well do you want to go outside? I heard its good luck to walk in the first snow fall of the winter!" he exclaimed, already putting our food away. I guess I had no choice now, did I?

"I suppose we could…" I said, still keeping my eye on the 'snow' outside. "Great!" He exclaimed, turning around to face me, "Let's go!"

He then grabbed my hand, and started to run out of the kitchen, dragging me after him. Over the past few days, I had gotten used to him pulling me places and hugging me. I came to terms with the fact that that was just the way he was, and he wasn't going to hurt me like the King.

So, I followed him to the front entrance, leading to the outside. When we got to the door, he turned to me, still holding my hand, and said, "Are you ready?"

I nodded, a little scared of what this snow was like. Did it hurt if you touch it? I took a deep breath, preparing for whatever the outcome may be. If Matthias was bringing me into this though, I trusted that it was safe.

He smiled, and opened the door up quickly. The guards were standing out in the cold, and watched us as we walked out into the falling snow. Still jumpy about the snow, I ran to Matthias' side, and decided to watch and see what happened to him before I could feel completely safe.

He looked down at me, as I was embarrassingly clinging to him. He laughed, and held out his hand, letting the snow fall on it. I watch as the snow melted on his skin, and his expression didn't change to anything below his usual happy self.

I slowly started to let space come between us, as I watched more and more snow fall. I looked up at the sky, and felt the flakes of snow touch my cheeks. I smiled at the cold, yet warm, feeling that came about me when they fell all around me.

The snow falling down was such an amazing sight to see! As I looked at all the white around me, I started to feel myself smiling. The ground was already covered, so I was leaving foot prints in the snow as I walked around.

Matthias was right there next to me, too. He was smiling and still holding my hand. I could seriously stay like this forever. I felt his grip on my hand tighten a little so I turned to face him. He was smiling as usual, so I smiled back.

But something happened that confused me greatly. I was suddenly hit in the face with fluffy ball of snow. "What the-?" I said, looking up at him. He was laughing, as he said, "Snowball fight!"

He then let go of my hand, still laughing, and ran a few feet away. At first I was confused as to what was happening, but I pieced it together rather quickly. I guess people play games in the snow and 'snowball fight' is one of them. Probably the object of the game is to hit your friends with balls of snow.

I smirked at him, grabbing a handful of snow on the ground, and balled it up into what he called a snowball. I had never thrown anything before, so I prayed that luck was on my side for me to hit him with the snowball.

I threw the snowball towards him, not sure if my shot was even close. He quickly ducked to avoid the snowball, but it hit his shoulder. He fell to the ground laughing, "You're good!"

I smiled, and crossed my arms, "I know I am."

He laughed, and started to stand up. Was the game over already? I guess I won if it was over! I silently congratulated myself, for winning the game I had never played before. Mathias started to walk towards me, smiling. His smile was more… fake, though… I started to back up from him.

What was going on? Was he acting like the king again? I don't remember him drinking beer… Was this because he lost the game? I could feel my smile fading as he got closer, and fear started to replace my happiness. What was going to happen to me? Berwald and Tino weren't around this time to save me.

I was so caught up in thinking about what might happen that I didn't even notice him put his hands on my shoulders. I slowly looked up at him, before he said, "Yes, you are good…" he smiled, moving his right hand to where it was on the back of my neck. His cold hands sent shivers down my spine.

I waited for him to finish what he was saying. He started to smile a bit more, before he sang, "But not as good as me!"

Confusion filled my mind. What just happened? A feeling of relief did pass through me though that he wasn't acting like the king. But why was his smile so dark? I soon felt the reason of his dark smile on my back.

I shrieked, and yelled, "What did you just do?"

"I totally just won the game!" he laughed.

He had dropped a snowball down the back of my shirt, and my back was now freezing! I tried to get the snowball out, but with all the layers of coats I was wearing, I got tangled up.

"You are going to pay for this," I growled, as I shivered from the mound of snow still stuck in my shirt.

Matthias stopped laughing for a second, and asked, "Is it really still in your shirt?"

"Yes!" I replied, starting to try again to get it out. He laughed again, even though I didn't find this funny at all, and walked over to where I was.

I flinched at first, thinking that he was going to put more snow down my shirt, but instead, he started to help me get untangled from the furs I was wearing. I stared at him, confused as to why he was helping me out.

He smiled up at me, as he was sorting out the layers of my clothes. I looked away, face heating up for some odd reason. I then felt his hand reach up my shirt, as the cold snow fell out. My face then felt like it was on fire. I could get the ice out of my shirt without his help!

I quickly walked a few steps away from him, so he would know I wanted him to stop. Also, what if he lifted up my shirt a little too much, and saw the bruise left from the chains on my stomach? My whole cover could be blown. I have to be more careful around him.

He got up, looking down at the ground, and said, "Sorry about that… I guess I take things a bit too far sometimes."

"Its fine," I replied, "It's a game, so you didn't mean any harm."

He smiled, "Ok!" He grabbed my hand, and started to pull me in a different direction of the castle.

"Where are we going now?" I had to question since he wasn't telling me anything.

"Some place away from here! We can play in the snow more, just without the guards watching us. What do you want to do and where do you want to go?" he said, as we started to get further and further away from the castle.

I thought for a second about places I would like to go. I didn't know many places here, much less things fun to do in the winter. We had already done ice fishing and snowball fights, but what more was there?

I thought hard about what would be fun to do when it is the winter. Suddenly an idea popped up into my head. Icicles! Wait… what even are icicles? This doesn't make sense, why is my mind suggesting icicles when I have never heard of or seen one before? Have I, and I just can't remember?

I decided to give it a try, "Icicles?" I suggested, not knowing what the Hell they were and what you even did with them. What if my mind just made up a word since it was on the spot?

"What?" Matthias asked.

That's it. It was probably just a made up word in my brain. "Never mind," I said, quickly, already starting to think of other ideas.

"Wait, no!" he said, "I know where icicles are if that is what you want to do. They are fun to have pretend sword fights with. I haven't actually gotten the chance to play with one since I hung out with you and your brother though."

Huh, that's weird. So icicles really were a thing. How did I know that though? Maybe someone said the word, but how did I know it was a thing to play with in the winter?

"I know where some are though," he continued, "They are hanging from a tree near a thin frozen lake, so we must be careful, alright?"

I wanted to see these icicles and somehow figure out how I remember them, so I nodded my head, "Ok, let's go."

Matthias smiled, and started to lead the way to where the icicles were.

The lake wasn't too far away from the castle actually. It only took thirty minutes to walk there in the snow. The snow was still falling down on us when we arrived, and Matthias said it would keep falling down for at least a day.

When we got to the lake though, I started to look around for what could possibly be an icicle. It was most likely made of ice, hence the name, but that was all I knew. What was made of ice and wasn't called just ice?

"There's some over there!" I heard Matthias say, as he pointed towards a tree hanging over the lake. Was an icicle a frozen tree? I had never heard of that. I let him pull me over to the tree, and saw that there were large and small, sharp, pieces of ice, hanging from the tree.

A "Whoa," escaped my mouth, as I examined the tree more. Could I touch the ice? It looked so cool, like an ice dagger! I looked to Matthias, almost asking for his consent to break off one of the icicles.

He asked me, "You want one?"

I nodded. Who wouldn't want an icicle? They looked like so much fun, so why hadn't he played with them in such a long time? He smiled, and reached up, grabbing an icicle from a low hanging tree branch.

He broke it off, and handed it to me. "For you~" he said to me in a sing-song tone of voice.

I smiled, as I examined the dagger shaped piece of ice that was in my hands. He picked a small icicle, but it was still amazing to me. How could a piece of ice be shaped like this? It was fantastic, really.

I paused examining the icicle when Matthias said, "Look behind you at that huge icicle!" I quickly turned around to see a tall, skinny icicle that looked almost like a tall dagger that I believe was called a sword. The light shined through it, creating a spectrum of bright rays, going in different directions.

"It's beautiful. It looks almost like a… sword? Ya," I said, looking at it more. It was a ways away, and over the ice that he told me to be careful around.

"Do you want me to get it for you? We could have a play sword fight! It would almost be like old times," Matthias said, causing me to look back at him.

"Didn't you say the thin ice is dangerous?" I asked him. I didn't want him to get hurt, while getting something for a silly sword fight. And even though the sword fight seemed like lots of fun. I had never actually seen a sword fight before, but the King told me a story once about one. That was basically it.

Matthias shrugged, "I'll be careful. It is not that far out anyway." I started to consider what he was saying. Then, I thought about the consequences of anything happening to him. Both my King and the King of Denmark would want to kill me.

I had to think of something quickly. He was set for getting me that icicle so asking for him to forget it was out of the question. I looked at him, then at the thin ice… There was truly only one way…

"Can I maybe get it?" I asked, "You have done so much for me already, it's the least I can do. Especially since I am going to beat you in the sword fight. It will make me feel better." I knew I probably wasn't going to beat him in a sword fight, but it was the only thing I could come up with.

He laughed a little, "Wow. Getting cocky already are we?" he smirked, "But alright. Just please be careful, ok?"

"Of course," I replied back to him, already stepping closer to the ice.

I looked down at the thin ice. It looked like it could hold me, but then again… It also looked like it would break on the first step. This really was gambling my luck.

I slowly and steadily started to take the first step on the ice. When I did so, I found that it was stronger than it looked. I then started to carefully walk across the ice. The icicle wasn't that far away, so I reached my destination rather quickly.

I immediately grabbed hold of the icicle to gain my balance a little better. It was definitely harder to stand on ice that I thought. I looked back at Matthias who looked more worried than I had ever seen him. "Don't worry so much," I called out to him, "I am already getting the icicle, see?" I smiled to assure him that everything was going to be ok. Though my balance was a little shaky, I had basically been scared for nothing.

Matthias' expression didn't change though, "Just please be careful, alright?"

"I will, I will," I said to him, already starting to pull on the icicle. It was harder to get the icicle off the tree branch than I thought. I had to put my right leg back a little farther, to gain more upper body strength to break it off.

My hands were wrapped around the top part of the icicle, and I was using all the strength I could manage. I had to show Matthias that I could be strong like him. He couldn't just be my rock, while I did nothing for him in return!

I started to hear a crack in the icicle, meaning that it was starting to break off the tree. Though I was majorly struggling now, this was a success I wasn't going to let go of. I started to pull harder on the icicle, closing my eyes as my arms started to hurt from the pressure on them.

It started to get easier, since the crack made the icicle have less resistance against me. The only bad thing that was going on was my hands were slipping, and were also getting too cold to stand.

Soon enough, though, I heard another cracking sound go throughout the ice, and before I knew it, the icicle was off the tree. But since I didn't see it coming, the icicle shot off the tree before I could catch it.

I jumped in fear it was going to shoot into me, and ended up slipping on the ice. When I feel backwards, I hit the back of my head hard on the ground, also hearing Matthias shout my name, "Emil are you alright?"

I had to think about if I was really alright for a second. I looked around, my vision being a little hazy from the fall. I sat up, trying to find Matthias, as I said, "Ya, I'm fine, I just-,"

I heard the sound of ice breaking next to me.

Next to me was the icicle, sticking up and through the ice. Slowly, cracks were starting to spread from it and towards me. I looked to Matthias, and the look on his face showed that he could see what I was seeing.

Was I going to die? If the ice breaks under me, I was going to be roughly sent into the water, and I don't know how to swim. This couldn't be it though. I couldn't just drowned and die here! I was so close to freedom! My life and all hopes for freedom shouldn't just be cut short like that. I had to get out of this situation, but how?

"M-Matthias," I said, voice shaking no matter how hard I tried to seem unafraid.

Matthias was on the edge of the lake. It looked like he was debating whether or not it would be a good idea to go on the ice. In my opinion, the cracks in the ice would get worse if he stepped on here, and he was probably thinking that too.

"Emil," he said, staring at both me and the cracked ice near me, "I'm going to need you to slowly crawl over to me ok? Can you do that?"

His voice was shaking too. If he was scared, this was very wrong. I could feel tears threatening to fall. "Matthias, I can't swim. I don't know how, what if I fall in?" I asked, a tear finally falling from my eye.

"You won't, I promise! I would come over there and pick you up myself, but with too much weight, it will make things worse. Just please crawl for me, ok?" he said.

I nodded my head, "O-ok…" I said, starting to change my position so I could crawl to him. As much as I would had to admit this, I just wanted to be safe in his arms. I always felt safest there, and I wanted to be there more than anywhere else right now.

I put my hands out in front of me on the ice, causing the cleft parts of the ice to increase. I slowly started to crawl, causing more and more cracks in the ice to chase after me. I stopped.

"Matthias this won't work. The ice is breaking too fast!" I yelled, tears falling down my cheeks. I was so close yet so far to the safety of his arms.

Matthias' expression stated that he knew I wouldn't make it by just crawling. He even had tears falling down his face. "Just… stay calm," he shouted to me, "If you can just-!"

I heard a loud noise behind me. I looked behind me and saw a long and final crack in the ice, make its way in my direction. In the following three seconds, all the ice around me broke, causing the piece of ice I was sitting on to go lopsided into the water beneath.

**_A/N: Well that happened. I cut the scene short just because. _**

**_Review for the next chapter!_**

**_~NorwegianPilot17_**


	12. Winter Savior

**_A/N: Hello Lovelies! Good to see you guys again~_**

**_I would like to thank Mx Akiyata for helping me out SOOOO much with this fic. You truly are so amazing, so *hugs* Thanks! _**

**_I am leaving tomorrow to go on a trip, and I am coming back on the 21_****_st_****_, I think. I will have wifi, but I am not sure if I will have time to write. I will aim to post on the deadline, but if I do not, that is why. _**

_Winter Savior_

(Lukas' POV)

I fell roughly into the water, the coldness immediately filling my senses. I manage to grab hold of an edge of the ice. "Matthias!" I shouted, trying to find him. The water was colder than anything I could have imagined.

"Emil!" I heard him almost scream, "Emil, I'm coming to get you, ok? Stay there!"

I was about to tell him that I could get out myself, but the piece of ice I was holding on to, shattered in front of me, causing me to go completely under water.

The water was freezing, and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even move my muscles due to the freezing temperature. My arms and legs weren't responding to what I was telling them to do. There was no way Matthias could save me.

I tried my best to get on top of the water again and get some air, but it was no use. I didn't even know which way was up anymore due to the commotion. It was getting harder and harder to hold my breath too, and now I was panicking. I could feel myself sinking downwards, and I couldn't do anything about it.

Was this truly it for me? I tried to yell for Matthias to help me, but that only made things worse. Now the water was successfully in my lungs as I started to choke on it. I could not breathe at all! Every part of my body was burning and I felt like I was in pure agony. I can't believe this was it. I was so close to my freedom and something as stupid as this happened.

Slowly, the pain started to get less and less painful though. My mind started to get fuzzy, as my muscles were relaxing. What was going on? I didn't feel the need to fight for survival anymore, even though I knew that I was dying. That was the last thing that I though before my mind was fully blank and gone.

(Matthias' POV)

It had been a minute, and ever since Emil slipped into the water, he hadn't come back up! Was he ok? Of course he's not, stupid! He told me he didn't know how to swim! I needed to go after him and save him. But how could I do that without killing myself in the process?

Ugh! Think, Matthias, think! Emil could be gone right now because I can't make decisions fast enough. Oh God, what if Emil really is dead now? What happens next? How do I tell everyone? Oh wait, they all already want him dead, those stupid fu-!

Think about Emil. Think about Emil!

That's it. I need to save him. I mean, I'd want to die if he died, so it would only make sense to risk my life to try and save him. Ok, I'll do it!

I already started to step out on the ice when I made up my mind to go save Emil. He was worth it. Oh, he was definitely worth it. I slowly stepped across the ice, towards the giant mess of a hole that Emil created in the ice.

I looked down to tell if I could see him through the water, but it was too dark to see anything at all. I guess the only way I could do this was to go in there myself and feel around for him. It was an extremely dangerous plan, but I couldn't think of anything better on the spot.

I threw my top fur coat off, since I might need it later to help Lukas from not dying from the cold weather. I decided to take off another layer for him too. I put those aside on the ice and jumped into the water to go searching for Emil.

At first, the water was freezing, and it all felt like tiny needles attacking my skin. But I quickly replaced the feeling of pain in my mind with Emil. I needed to save him. I started swim through the water with my hands out in front of me to feel for Emil's body anywhere.

When it started to hurt to hold my breath, I made my way up to the surface, took a breath, and went back down. I repeated this all a few times, and right when I was starting to lose hope, I felt him. I felt his beautiful hair that was always in his face, in my reach. I found Emil!

I quickly moved my hands down to his waist, and grabbed a strong hold of him. He was most likely passed out from being out of breath for that long. I still had a fighting chance of saving him though. It wasn't over yet!

With him in my arms, I went back up to the surface again, taking a deep breath when I hit the air. I have never felt so thankful to breathe! I climbed out of the water and on top of the ice, and dragged Emil out after me.

Yep. He was completely passed out… I checked his heart beat…He was alive! I checked to see if he was breathing, AND HE IS NOT BREATHING. Oh shi-ellfish. Shellfish. Wait, why am I being PG in my mind?

OH SHIT.

How could he not be breathing? How long has he been like that?! Can he start breathing again? Ok, ok. Stop freaking out! I am not freaking out. I am being calm and composed and I might know how to do this. I have seen this before, and Emil _will_ make it.

I straightened Emil out so this whole 'helping him breathe' process will be easier for both him and me. Now I had to hurry because his life was on the line and I didn't have much time.

I placed my hands on top of the other on his chest, and started to push down hard and fast. My dad taught me once how to do this, and I was just trying to recall everything from that lesson. I pushed down on his chest twice every second, praying that one of the times would have him choking out a bunch of water, but none were.

When I reached thirty seconds, I decided to stop. Obviously just this wasn't going to work. I looked at his blue lips and started to think. He hated me kissing him, and if he woke up to me kissing him, then he might get mad… What was I going to do?

No. He would have to understand that it was either this or death. Plus it wasn't even real kissing, so I bet he would understand.

I tilted his head back, and leaned over him. Well… Here goes nothing. I opened his mouth wide, and connected our lips. I then started to exhale air into his mouth and hopefully into his lungs. I lifted my head up to see if he was breathing.

Unfortunately there was no sign of him breathing yet. It was almost two minutes and thirty seconds of him not breathing from when I discovered him at least. I had to save him fast! I quickly pressed my hands against his chest again, and started to push down on his chest twice everyone one second.

The whole process of me getting him to breathe again was me going back and forth from blowing air into his mouth and pushing my hands against his chest quickly. It wasn't until one last time of rapidly pressing against his chest, was when Emil finally coughed out a bunch of water.

Even though it was kind of a disgusting sight to see, I was so happy he was alive! I saved him! I actually wanted to cry right now I was so happy! I thought tears of joy was just a myth, but with Emil, they were proven not to be. Ugh, I'm so happy I could kiss him right now!

But I won't. I promise.

I watched, smiling widely, as his eyes fluttered open, and he dazedly looked around him. I couldn't help but straddle him and hold him in my arms.

"Oh my gosh, you're alive, you're alive, you're alive!" I kissed his forehead out of excitement.

"Don't… kiss me," he tiredly said, starting to close his eyes again.

I laughed a little at him, and looked at how peaceful he looked. His lips were still blue, and his hair was starting to ice together, and he truly did look like a cold, shivering wreck, but he still looked so beautiful and I am so happy he was alive!

It looked like Emil had gone to sleep again, and I couldn't blame him. He nearly died a few minutes ago, so I would be worried if he wasn't tired. I hugged him one last time, but realized he practically felt like a human ice cube. I guess it would be best to change his clothes. I wish I had taken more layers off of me for him, but the two layers that I had thrown off before would last him a trip back to the castle at least, so that was good.

I grabbed the two layers of fur, and put them next to the both of us. There was an awkward moment coming up, and I wanted to make it last as short as possible, because if he woke up during the moment, he would most likely kill me. I had to take all of his clothes off because they were wet, and the dry clothes would do nothing, if I just put them over the wet layers. This was practically essential.

I started to take off his wet clothes, and just decided to put them all in a pile. They were probably going to freeze in pile form, and no one would ever see them again after this, but whatever.

When I was done taking off all his clothes, the first thing I noticed was a bruise that wrapped around Emil's waist. What was that? I hovered my hands over it, too afraid to touch it, because it looked painful.

I then noticed the same kind of bruises on his wrists and ankles. In fact, practically his whole body was covered in scrapes and bruises. What was all this from? He looked like he had gone through torture and beatings and-!

Was Emil some kind of prisoner of war?

What wars had Norway fought recently? I know they had fought a lot, but whatever side did this to Emil was soon going to be target by Denmark. This was inhumane and wrong. It is also probably why Emil has a problem with kissing. If they physically abused him, then they most likely sexually abused him. It all made sense now at least. I guess I could find a way to make Emil less jittery about kissing, now that I think I know the reason why. But why wouldn't Emil tell me about this?

Well… maybe because he was embarrassed. To be honest, I wouldn't tell just anybody about this either. I'll just stay silent about it until he decides to tell me. I smiled at his sleeping body, just thinking about how much tougher he looked now. He had been through so much, and I just can't imagine how it probably felt in that place, not knowing if you will ever have freedom…

Gosh. This just made me love Emil even more. I wrapped him up in the two layers of fur, which surprisingly covered all of him, and started to walk back to the castle. I felt like I was a walking piece of ice thanks to my wet clothes that were probably starting to harden to my body now.

The way back was just like last time I had to carry Emil back from something. I was alone, but not lonely. I had Emil right here to keep me company. I might sound crazy for saying this, but it is true. With Emil I am never lonely.

It took a good forty-five to fifty minutes for me to get back to the castle. When I arrived, it was starting to get dark out, so I was glad I decided to head back in time when I did.

The guards outside didn't even bother to ask me why Emil was in only two layers of fur in my arms. I am glad about that too. Because if I had to answer them truthfully, they would bring out the nurses and put him in their care, but I don't think he would want any more people finding out about his scars and bruises. I also… wanted to take care of him myself.

Wow, my thoughts are starting making me blush. Haha~ it is probably because Emil blushes so much. He has such a funny impact on me!

I quickly went up to my room, praying that I wouldn't run into Berwald or Tino or worse… my dad. But thankfully, I didn't run into any of the three. I walked into my room, and closed the door behind me, still carrying Emil, bridal-style.

I laid him by the fire place which I started shortly after. He was still shivering and his skin felt freezing, so I wrapped him in all the furs and warm blankets I could find. Whatever could possibly make him feel warm again, I put on top of him.

Soon enough, it was time for me to get into something warm. Like I had predicted, my clothes practically froze to my skin. I took it all off though, and put on warmer clothes, before sitting down beside Emil and watching him.

Wait that sounded creepy. I shall rephrase that.

I took it all off though, and put on warmer clothes, before sitting down beside Emil and waiting for him to wake up.

There we go!

I wanted to be awake when he woke up, so I could explain to him what happened and care for him more. Though he acted like it, he couldn't do everything on his own. Emil could still have a chance of being sick, so I will have to make sure he takes it easy.

I laid next to him and waited for him to possibly wake up, but as the time went on, I started to get sleepy too. I kept catching myself falling asleep. It went on as a cycle until I finally surrendered, and fell asleep, laying down next to Emil, by the fire.

~(Lukas' POV)~

I woke up to a faint sound of light snoring. It didn't wake me up, but it was definitely the first thing I heard. That and a crackling fire. Where was I?

I slowly opened my eyes, some senses in my body waking up and telling me that I was covered in a warm material. Everything was blurry at first, but when my sight came into focus, I realized that Matthias was lying next to me, most likely asleep.

The second thing I realized was how close we were. Why was that? I twitched my arm a little to try and find where it was. When I found it, I realized that it was wrapped around Matthias' waist while the other was resting in between our chests.

And another thing, I wasn't wearing a shirt! Matthias could easily see my marks now. Why can't I remember why I am like this? I looked down, praying that I was wearing pants, and too my horror, I was not.

I jumped up into a sitting position, finally realizing that I was in Matthias' room. I had a massive headache and it was a little bit of a struggle to breathe, as I tried to figure out what to do. I looked back at Matthias when I heard him mumbling as he slowly started to wake up too.

When his eyes opened, I quickly put the fur around my body more so he couldn't see the scars and marks on me. He smiled, and said, "You're up!"

"Ya, I am. And why am I- Why am I-?" I asked, totally not freaking out on the inside. Why was he acting so calm about this? Wait… was I poisoned or something? Did he use me for worse stuff than kisses like the King?

"Emil are you ok?" he asked, getting up, and touching his hand lightly to my forehead. I flinched at his touch, but replied, "N-No. Why am I not wearing anything and w-with you? I don't remember-!"

Matthias' face blushed a deep read, as he said, "No, it's not like that, Emil! You fell in the lake and almost drowned, but I got you out in time. To make there be a less chance of you freezing to death, I had to take your original clothes off and cover you in blankets, because that is all I had at the time. I would have dressed you in regular clothes sooner, but I figured you would prefer to do that, so I just wrapped you in more blankets!"

I stared at him, trying to figure out if he was lying or not. I mean, I guess I would have woken up if he was trying to…do bad stuff to me, and I definitely would have remembered it. He was most likely telling the truth due to the facts, but there was still on problem. He undressed me which meant he saw my marks and scars. I had to make sure though.

"Ok… So, what did you think about my scars?" I asked him, covering up a little more. Even though I was next to this fire, I was freezing!

"What?" he asked, confused, but then he realized what I meant, and replied, "Oh… I umm, I don't know. You are still my beautiful Emil if that's what you're asking~ But in seriousness, were you a prisoner of war or something?"

"I don't even know…" I replied, "I don't remember how it all happened, to be honest." I looked down at the ground, thinking about it all. How did I get there? Why did the King hate me? To Arthur and Alfred, he wasn't treating right, and I did nothing to deserve it.

I looked up when I felt Matthias' hand on my shoulder. "Are you ok?" he asked.

I nodded my head, "Ya, I just… Let's not talk about it anymore."

He smiled, "Alright, and hey, are you still cold?"

"Very," I replied, still shivering.

He touch my hand with his, and his eyes widened a little, "Whoa, you are freezing!" He looked around the room, as he asked, "Do you want take a bath? The water would be hot of course, and that could warm you up. I'll get clothes for you while you do that."

I had taken a bath before, but it was only in cold water. I had never actually touched warm water before, so I was curious how it would be. I nodded my head, "Thank you."

Matthias smiled, "No problem!" He then jumped up and said, "I am going to go to the kitchen to heat up some water. I'll be back in thirty minutes. Want to join me or stay?"

I didn't want to be left alone, so I of course replied, "I want to join you."

He got up, smiling, "Ok! Let's go!" I started to get up after him, but a pain in my legs caused me to stumble over. He caught me just before I face planted into the ground, and said, "Are you alright?" He carried me over to a chair nearby and took a look at me.

"Your legs must be sore maybe from falling on the ice and fighting to get up to the top of the surface," he said, running his hand along my left leg. What did sore mean? Will I ever be able to walk again? It hurt so much to walk, and what is freedom when walking felt like that?

Matthias must have saw the look of worry on my face, for he smiled and said, "Don't worry. The feeling will most likely be gone in one or two days. I'll carry you everywhere until then, alright?" He laughed.

I could feel my cheeks heat up again. Matthias always had that effect on me though. I stuttered out, "Y-You don't have to," I looked down at the ground, unsure of what to do in this situation.

I heard Matthias laugh a little, "I'll do anything for you." He then stood up a little bit, and kissed me on the cheek, causing my whole face to turn a bright pink. Did he just-? I kept looking at the floor as my face turned to a deep red color.

It wasn't until Matthias left the room was when I finally looked up. Did he just kiss me on the cheek? I mean… I guess I gave him permission a long time ago, but why out of the blue like that? He wasn't angry or sad or drunk was he? He was laughing for crying out loud, so of course not. So why did he kiss me?

I put my hand against my cheek where he kissed me. Was there just no reason behind the kiss? That couldn't be possible. He had to either be sad or angry or drunk to kiss me, and I was going to have to find out when he came back.

When he did come back thirty minutes later, I decided not to ask him just yet. He might get even angrier, and I was curious to what a bath was like, so I couldn't ruin my chances of finding out.

After the hot bath, I still couldn't tell what Matthias was feeling at all still. How was he so good at hiding those feelings? I am glad the kiss on the cheek gave it away before he could get worse.

He helped me out of his tub that I was using, and gave me some of his clothes that were warm. It was still in the middle of the night, so we had to be quiet about everything. I was starting to get tired again, and he looked tired, himself, so we both started to gradually say goodnight to one another.

Right as I started to walk to the door, I remembered the question that needed to be asked right away. I stopped walking, and turned back around to face him. "Matthias?" I asked, getting his attention.

"Hm?" he smiled, walking towards his bed.

"Are you angry or sad about something?" I asked, looking down at the ground. To be honest, I was afraid of making him angrier. I really liked how happy he was, but if he was sad enough or angry enough or drunk enough to kiss me, then I better fix it fast.

Matthias looked confused, as he replied, "No? I am actually happier right now than I have been in a long time! Do I look mad?"

"You don't, I'm sorry," I replied. This doesn't make sense. If he was happy then he wouldn't kiss me. Kissing is just for when you are mad, sad, and drunk, right?

"Emil is something wrong?" he asked, stepping towards me.

I looked up at him, "No, it's just… It's just-. Why did you kiss me?"

"What?" he asked, at first confused, "You mean on the cheek?"

"Ya," I replied, walking over to his bed to sit down. My legs were still very sore, "You must be mad, sad, drunk, or something to kiss me, right?"

He frowned, most likely trying to think about what was on his mind at the time. He then walked over to stand in front of me, as he said, "Emil… I was not feeling any of those things when I kissed you on the cheek."

"But that's not possible!" I replied to him, "You must have been one of the-!"

"Emil, let me finish," he interrupted, saying it all calmly. I shut my mouth, not wanting him to get mad.

"To kiss someone, you can also feel happiness too. And that is exactly what I was feeling when I kissed you," He smiled, "And that will always be the only feeling I feel when I am with you~,"

I could feel a blush appear on my cheeks, "So… you kissed me out of happiness?"

He smiled, nodding his head, "Yeah! And I'll kiss you on the cheek out of happiness again if you'd let me~"

He was asking permission to kiss me on the cheek out of happiness? This is the most respect I have gotten in forever... Just the fact of him asking to kiss me is amazing, but just on the cheek and out of happiness makes it ever more special. How could I say no to him? This was my first feeling of respect, and in return this was the least I could do.

I smiled, "Yes, and thank you so much for… asking," I looked down to hide my blush that was appearing for some odd reason.

My face was suddenly lifted up gently by his hand, so I could see him smiling. I never truly noticed until now how beautiful he was when he smiled. I smiled a little just as an effect of his bright smile. He then leaned closer, and slowly, he pressed his lips against my cheek.

Even though my face felt like it was on fire, his touch was as soothing as could be. I almost… I almost didn't want it to end. It did though, but I was confused on how I actually felt about it. It was different now that it was a happy kiss, but it still brought back too many bad memories.

I looked up at him, wanting to smile and almost cry at the same time. Why was I so different from him? Why couldn't I just enjoy kisses and have happy memories. I just want to kiss him back, but it was so painful at the same time.

I guess Matthias saw that it was troubling me, so he wrapped his arms around my shoulders, embracing me in a hug. "I love you so much Emil, you know that, right?" he asked.

I closed my eyes and nodded my head, as I wrapped my arms around his waist. How could he love a wreck like me, so much? I am a lying, selfish person who is planning on betraying him while I am also starting to love him. I can't even make a decision what I want more right now. Freedom or Matthias?

A few days ago I would have obviously chosen Freedom, but now I am not so sure. Matthias loves me, he will protect me, and I am actually starting to love him too, but he can't protect me forever. One day the King is going to come and he will kill Matthias right before he takes me back to that horrible place again. With Freedom, I won't have Matthias, but I can live my life without worrying about the King and going back there.

Love feels great, but safety is more important right now. I still have to go through with this, no matter how hard it will be.

**_A/N: Meh. I decided not to end it on a cliffhanger, because I have been doing that a lot lately. Here is a calm chapter before a storm of things. MWA HA HA HA _**

**_Review for the next chapter._**

**_~NorwegianPilot17_**


	13. Winter Sham

**_A/N: Yoyoyo. I am back from vaca! _**

**_A special thanks to Mx Akiyata. You truly are amazing, and thank you so much for helping me out with this!_**

**_Hope you enjoy and please review at the end for the next chapter~_**

_Winter Sham_

"Uh, Ber? You should come see this!" A muffled voice spoke out in my hazy mind. Everything was dark, but I wasn't questioning a single thing that was going on.

"What is 't?" Another voice that was hard to understand replied.

I heard footsteps coming closer in the darkness of my mind, until the first voice said, "I can't wake them up~"

"Sure y' can," the other voice said, "We need t' anyway. H's father wants to take him out t' work today."

The other voice hesitated on what to say for a moment. Finally, they replied, "I guess you're right…"

I suddenly felt someone shaking a weight on top of me. I flickered my eyes open, realizing that what I thought I just dreamt was actually real life. Everything was a bit blurry around me, but I could still see that the weight on top of me was Matthias. This instantly caused me to panic.

When and how did I fall asleep again? I remember Matthias kissing my cheek out of love, and… I will never let that happen again. I have to stop getting closer to him. It will just make things harder when I have to bring him back to Norway. But anyway, we hugged, and I got tired and fell asleep while hugging him. I guess he fell asleep too, and here we are now.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw two more people looking at us. I peered at them, trying to figure out who they were, but my brain didn't feel like working that hard yet. I needed coffee…

Matthias started to shift on top of me. I closed my eyes, praying that this would all be over soon. It truly was embarrassing. Matthias mumbled a little bit, as he started to wrap his arms tighter around my torso.

"Wake 'p, Matthias," I heard a low voice that I could tell now was Berwald's say.

I felt Matthias' lips brush against my skin as he breathed in my scent. His eyes started to slowly open as he woke up. When his blue eyes came in contact with mine, he smiled. "Good morning~" he mumbled happily, resting his face in the nook of my neck afterwards.

Knowing that Berwald and most likely Tino were watching this caused me to blush madly. To cover this all up, I decided to say, "Matthias, get off."

He looked up, eyes wider than when he woke up, "What? What is wrong?" I looked up at the two figures practically standing over us. Matthias followed my eyes to see what I was looking at, and when he saw Berwald and Tino, he shrieked.

"What are you guys doing here? Ever heard of knocking?" he sputtered out, still not getting his heavy self off of me.

"We did knock! You just didn't answer," Tino replied, crossing his arms.

"Oh," Matthias replied, "Why are you waking us up?"

"Actually, only you need to wake up. Emil can go back to bed. Your father wants to spend the day with you," Tino explained.

Matthias groaned as he sat up a little, "What does he want now?"

I was a little worried about why the King wanted to see Matthias. There was a big percent chance that it was about me. Was it good or bad? Matthias said something about him not trusting me, so of course it would be bad.

Berwald replied this time to Matthias, "We don't know. Didn't ask, b't go anyway." I could tell that Berwald was very loyal to Matthias' father. I'd actually be worried that he is more loyal to that King than Matthias. Does Matthias think about this at all, or am I just overthinking things?

I then felt Matthias' hand brushing away the hair from my face, as he sighed, "Since my father is the King, I reluctantly have to go. Do you think you will be ok without me for a day?" he smiled, his blue eyes staring straight into mine.

Of course, I'd be alright without him. It would actually be great to be alone for a while. It'd possibly be almost peaceful for once without having to hear his loud Danish accent every five seconds. I nodded my head, "Don't worry about me."

Matthias laughed a little, "Awe Emil, you can tell me not to, but you will always be on my mind. I'll miss you~"

"I won't," I responded just to play with him. His reactions to everything made me feel so happy. He never ceased to show how he was feeling, and his facial expression always made me smile.

"What?!" he gasped, eyes widening in shock from the comment I had just made. His mouth was slightly ajar, as he lifted his upper body up more. I couldn't help but smile at his hilariously dramatic reaction. It was almost cute how he did everything so over the top.

I put my hand on his shoulder and laughed a little, "I'm kidding. I'll miss you a little bit. But go and have fun with your father, and don't worry about me." Matthias' face soon grew dark at the mention of his father, the king. He then looked up at Berwald and Tino, frowning.

When he turned back to me, he smiled, "Emil, can you leave the room for a second? I need to talk to Berwald and Tino, asking about today and what I should do for their wedding. You can fix coffee and I'll meet you in there, alright?"

I nodded, "Ok, but you need to get off of me first."

He smiled, "Right!" he then got off of me, and started to get off his bed. I got up after him, doing as I was told and leaving the room. When I stood up though, my muscles were still very sore, and I stumbled over a little bit.

Matthias caught me in time before I fell, and helped my balance. "Be careful, alright?" he said to me with a soft smile, "You really can't afford to get hurt anymore…"

"What happened?" I heard Berwald ask.

"I'll explain everything to you when we are discussing the wedding," Matthias responded back to him, plainly.

Matthias squeezed my hand lightly, and smiled, "Are you ok to walk on your own?"

I honestly felt like he was babying me. I had been through so much more than this, so I think I could handle it. I wanted to frown, but his smile magically prevented that. I didn't smile though, either. I just responded with a quick, "Of course," and left the room as quick as possible with my aching legs.

When I got to the kitchen, I headed straight for where Matthias always fixed my coffee. Over the days, I had learned how he did everything, so I quickly and easily made myself a cup, and sat down at the kitchen table, alone.

With the quietness, I could really think. I feel like I spend every single second with Matthias (consciously at least). But wait, we did sleep together last night, so I am even spending time with him unconsciously now too. Oh wow, saying that we slept together sounds weird, doesn't it? Good thing no one saw us, because that would be even more awkward….

I took a long sip of my coffee, as my brain and mind started to get more functional. Then I jumped up from my seat because I realized something that didn't quite get through my mind this morning. Berwald and Tino _did_ see us sleeping together in the awkward sense. I hope they didn't actually think that we-!

"I have to go tell them now!" I said to myself, as I slammed my coffee down on the table, and started to run out of the room. I didn't care about my sore legs now. This was more important.

On my way of the kitchen, though, I ran into someone in the hallway. My face was planted into their chest, as we collided. Afraid that it was someone important, I quickly got off of them, and stepped backwards to see who I ran into.

"Where are you running to?" I heard thankfully Matthias' voice say. I only ran into him. What was he doing here already? Did Tino and Berwald get mad at him because of what they saw this morning? I don't know why, but I could see how awkward it could be…

"I need to explain to Tino and Berwald about what they saw this morning! I didn't realize how awkward we probably looked until now," I replied quickly to him, kind of freaking out about what they were thinking about me now.

I only stopped freaking out when I heard Matthias laughing. Why wasn't he also worried about what Tino and Berwald were thinking? Was I not clear enough about the problem? I then felt his hands on my shoulders, as he said, "Emil calm down!"

Still confused, I finally stood still and listened to him.

"I knew that'd you do this when you drank the coffee," he laughed, "So I went ahead and explained everything to them."

"Really? Where are they now?" I asked, also wondering how he knew I would act like this once I drank the coffee.

He smiled, and replied, "They are right now greeting Tino's cousin who just arrived. He will be staying here for a few days for their wedding."

I nodded, looking down, now embarrassed for my energetic behavior before. I probably looked like such a fool when freaking out about such a stupid thing. I'm sure Matthias also thinks that about me. I should probably just go to my room and stay out of everyone's way during the wedding too. I don't want to embarrass anyone, and possibly ruin my chance of getting Matthias to come back with me to Norway.

"Is something wrong?" Matthias asked, causing me to look back up at him. His face was fixed into a worried gaze as he looked down at me.

I shook my head, "No, I was just thinking about how this will be my first wedding." This was a lie, but what was not these days? Everything that has come out of my mouth since I met Matthias has been a lie, and it just keeps getting worse and worse. But this is good. This is my way of making sure that I don't get close to him. I need to see the plan through to the end

Matthias smiled, as he lightly lifted up my chin with his hand, "Are you worried?"

"Why would I be worried?" I asked.

He thought about my question for a moment, then answered, "I am not quite sure. You just looked troubled…"

"Oh," I replied, thinking about how I was troubled, but not about this topic, "I just… I don't even know what I am supposed to do at a wedding," I lied again, laughing a little.

"Really?" he asked, a little surprised at my reply, "It's…pretty simple, actually. You just have to sit still and watch the ceremony, and follow what everybody else does afterwards. Then at the after party, you can drink, eat, and talk to a few people! It is so much fun!"

His eyes lit up as he explain everything to me. A wedding started to sound more and more fun the longer he described it. I started to imagine what the wedding would be like, almost blocking out his voice in that process.

I imagined myself sitting and watching a couple that loved each other so much being brought together for life, and it was almost… I don't think I have even learned a word that can describe it yet. Would I ever get that?

No. This is not a time to think about such a thing called love. Why do I have to keep reminding myself that freedom is more important? I made a pact with myself that I would get my freedom, and such a feeling like love was starting to get in the way.

"Emil? Emil!" the words snapped me out of my thoughts, "Are you ok?" Matthias asked.

"What? Uh… ya, sorry. I was thinking again," I smiled to assure him I was ok.

He looked at me for a long ten seconds, deep in thought. Before I could ask him what he was doing, he embraced me into a hug, and said, "Don't worry about anything, alright? You shouldn't stress at all anyway, since you almost died yesterday… Just relax for a minute or two. Right here, right now~"

"Ok…" I said, leaning into his chest. Maybe it would be good for me to just take a few minutes to relax. I'm sure no one would notice, and there is no reason to be afraid to have my guard down. I was just with Matthias, and he wasn't going to hurt me.

I slowly wrapped my arms around his waist and closed my eyes, as I thought about absolutely nothing. I can't believe that I was with Matthias and it was this quiet at the same time. That was super rare, wasn't it?

I felt so at peace as he gently moved his hand up and down my back. What was I even worried about before this? I don't care… It was nice living in the moment for once. I wasn't thinking about the future or the past or what anyone was thinking. I was just thinking about how great it was to feel so safe in someone's arms. I then felt Matthias kiss the top of my head, as he slowly swayed us both back and forth. It was starting to get so relaxing that I would even say I was starting to fall asleep.

But then, "Matthias?" A familiar voice called out, "Oh there he is! Matthias!"

I immediately knew who the voice belonged to. Tino. Why was it that every time he and Berwald saw me, I was either hugging, being smothered by, or laying with Matthias? They probably thought that I was some kind of whore like the King used to call me.

Oh my gosh, that most definitely is what they think of me! Why wouldn't they think that? They are probably thinking that now, as they are walking up to me and Matthias after we just got finished hugging and swaying back and forth. I could say I was just relaxing, but that would just sound like an excuse to them. Oh, I wish I could just shrivel up and hide away from them.

Matthias smiled at me though, "There cousin is walking with them. Would you like to meet him?"

I gave it half a second of thought before answering, "No."

I didn't even wait for Matthias' humorous response this time. I was dead serious. They probably didn't even want me to meet their cousin. They would be embarrassed that they were friends with me. I would be too, if I were them.

"What? Why?" Matthias asked, grabbing both of my hands and holding them before I got a chance to escape.

"Because…" I said, thinking about possible excuses, "I am tired. I am going to bed now, so please let me go."

That was only half true. I was tired, but I was in no mood to go to bed now. I just needed to get far away from everyone to prevent myself from looking any more like a fool. Matthias frowned, and started to let me go, but I sensed it was too late when I felt a hand on my shoulder, and an unknown voice say, "Prince Emil!"

I turned around to be face to face with a smiling blonde guy who was the same height as me. He had hair that was shorter than mine, but it neatly made a line above his blue eyes.

"It's been a while but remember me?" he laughed, closing his eyes and smiling.

I looked up at Matthias, confused, but quickly looked back down, remembering that maybe the real Emil was friends with this guy. I smiled, and replied, "Of course I do!" laughing awkwardly, "How couldn't I?"

As I was saying this, I was just hoping he wouldn't ask me any trivial questions, because that would blow my cover. I then felt an arm wrap around my waist, as I looked up to a very confused Matthias. "How do you know this guy?" he asked, not breaking eye contact with the blonde man once.

And this was exactly the kind of question I was hoping not to answer. Thankfully though, the guy answered for me, "I'm sorry, my manners. I am Eduard, Tino's cousin. I help a lot with trade in Estonia, and I sometimes have to take trips to Norway. That is how I met Emil, because he helped his father with work and trade one day! We only talked once or twice though, but Emil is super nice!"

"Oh," Matthias said, loosening his arm around my waist a little, "Well I am Matthias! It is great to meet you~"

Eduard smiled, "It's nice meeting you too! I can't wait to get to talk to you both more, but I think Tino and Berwald want to show me to my room first."

Matthias suddenly jumped a bit, and started to say, "That reminds me, my father needs me!" Before any of us could ask how that even reminded him of that, he started to take off, but before he fully left, he kissed me on the forehead, saying, "Love you, Emil!"

Him doing that in front of everyone caused me to blush a dark pink. I started to call after him, "Don't do that-!" But he interrupted me by saying, "Bye!" And then he was gone. That left me with a still smiling but probably very confused Eduard, a frowning (like always) Berwald, and Tino who was smiling, but it almost looked fake.

I started to back away from the trio. I hate to say this, but without Matthias, my confidence went down quite a lot. Matthias was the only person that liked me in this group, except for Eduard, but who knows how long it will be before he starts to wonder why I act so different from when he last saw me…

I was interrupted from my thoughts when someone I didn't know walked up to the four of us. Tino turned to the person, obviously knowing them, and started to talk to him with Berwald. This left Eduard and I to awkwardly stare at each other for about two minutes. Finally and thankfully, Tino spoke up, and said, "That was someone who is helping us arrange the wedding. We have to go make a simple choice for the menu, but Emil can you talk to Eduard for just a minute? It will be quick."

The couple didn't even give me a chance to state my answer before they rushed off with the person to another room. I stared back at Eduard, wondering if we were just going to stare at each other the whole entire time.

That was what I thought what was going to happen until Eduard frowned and said, "You aren't the real Emil."

"What?" I asked, eyes widening because the question took me by surprise. How did he come to that conclusion so quickly?

"Your hair was practically white the last time I saw you, you are abnormally taller, your eyes are a different color for crying out loud, and face it, you don't recognize me. Who are you and what did you do with the real Emil?!" Eduard asked, immediately getting more intimidating than anyone I had ever encountered in my whole life.

I stepped back a few steps, and answered, "I don't know what you are talking about!" Making it so I seemed clueless, could work out for me.

"Don't lie, I would know Prince Emil when I see him, and you are not Prince Emil!" just as Eduard said that, Tino and Berwald walked in again, and most likely heard him say that. What was I going to do now?

"What is going on 'n here?" Berwald asked, as they both walked up to the scene.

Eduard frowned, and said, "Nothing… It's just… have any of you guys actually seen Prince Emil?"

"What do you mean?" Tino asked, "He is right there!"

"Ya, well, this isn't him," Eduard said, pointing to me, "The real prince Emil looks nothing like him!"

Both Berwald and Tino looked at me, confusion marked across their faces. What was I going to do? I was internally freaking out. How could everything go south so fast? This was it for me! Oh, I wish Matthias was here right now… No. I can do this without him. I'll make them believe that I am the real Emil whether they like it or not!

"Look, Eduard, I have changed since the last time we saw each other. My hair is a different shade because I…" what color was Emil's hair anyway? "Changed it… my eyes are a different color due to sunlight, and I am taller because of a growth spurt. It's just simple facts why I am this way and nothing more." I crossed my arms to tell them I was done.

I felt so proud of myself for standing up like that, even though I was lying, but at the same time I just wanted to shrivel up and forget about this whole scene. No matter how much I wanted to hide though, I still stood up tall, just like Matthias probably would. I can be as strong as him and everybody else here.

Tino looked almost surprised because that had been the most he had heard me say ever since I got here. Berwald looked normal, but Eduard looked dumbfounded. I smiled as his facial expressions changed and he was almost shaking, "I am so sorry, Emil," he said, "I had no right to even accuse you of such a thing…"

I looked down at him as he started to bow, still practically trembling. Had I really caused him to start shaking? Was I that bad? A thought started to creep into my mind as he kept throwing out apologies for me. Was I as bad as the King for doing this? Was he now afraid of me? I never intended for anyone to think that way of me… What have I done?

"I… I forgive you," I said, still thinking about what I had done, as I put my hand on his shoulder. When I felt him jump at my touch, I realized just how afraid he was of me now. I quickly took my hand off of him, and looked to Tino and Berwald. Even they looked worried by me. Could people's opinion on me change that much just by a few words?

"I… have something that I forgot to do," I said, backing up a bit, "I have to go now." I then turned around and ran towards my room which wasn't far away. I had to get away from everyone now. This situation would have been a lot better if Matthias was there to handle everything. He communicates so well with people, and I fail on my first try…

I quickly ran into my room and locked the door. I wasn't going to come out until Matthias came back. I couldn't risk people thinking poorly of me while I am trying to live out my plan for freedom.

~(***)~

The four hours I had spent in my room were extremely boring without Matthias. I can't believe I am about to say this, but I actually miss that loud Danish accent always telling me how much he loves me. All I want to do right now is just mess with him, causing him to make those funny facial expressions that I loved so much.

Almost immediately after laughing a little while thinking about his expressions, I heard a trumpet sound that the King had arrived at the castle. It happened a few times over the days I had spent here. At first, I was confused as to why they did that, but Matthias explained it to me, a bit confused on why they didn't do that in Norway.

I got up a little, remembering that Matthias was with his father, the king. That meant he was home again! I quickly got up, wobbling a little due to my still sore legs, but still ran to the door. I ran out of my room and started to make my way to the entry way of the castle where he was.

When I got to the entry hall, I saw his father going into the throne room, while he stood in the middle of the hall. It wasn't until I got up close to him, was when I noticed that he was angry, tears brimming the edges of his eyes.

"Matthias?" I shyly called out, afraid of what the outcome might be. People were always so scary when they were angry…

He looked at me just as a tear fell from his eye. Without another note, he looked down at the ground, and walked past me, towards his room. Why was he angry and crying? What could have possibly happened with his father? Or was it me? I don't know how, but how could he be angry about his father? Could it be that I told him not to kiss me when he was leaving? Maybe he messed with him too much. Why am I changing in such a bad way?

With my head hung low, I slowly walked back up to my room. I hesitated a bit at my door, wondering if I should go to Matthias' room and check on him, but I decided against it. Maybe he needed alone time, and I didn't want to risk being kissed again out of something other than love.

I walked back into my room, closing the door. I laid down on my bed, and yet again, started waiting for Matthias.

~(Matthias' POV)~

I sat there at the edge of my bed thinking about all that happened today. Damn, I hated my father so much! Why?! Why did he have to do this to me? To Emil? He doesn't even know Emil and is forcing his fate to end up like this.

I could help but start sobbing into my hands at the thought of having to kill Emil. I tried to prevent this by talking to my father today, but I think I made it worse. Why won't my father understand that I love Emil? Why can't he just let me be happy? I laid back, trying to stop my sobs, but only ended up choking on them.

As I sat up, I started to wonder if maybe things would work out if Emil and I just ran away together. We wouldn't have to worry about death or rules and especially Kings. Royalty is the reasons we are in this mess right now. Because of their decisions, we are having to pay.

I am sick of falling victim to every single one of my father's mistakes though. I am tired of having to do what he says. I will not kill Emil no matter what he says. His threats mean nothing, because before he can even get the chance to torture and kill Emil, I will make sure we are far away from this place!

Just thinking about the choices I have here though made me cry even more. I can't believe I have such a short time to think about things. I need to be king to save this country, but I love Emil.

Emil.

Oh no! I totally dissed him when he greeted me at the entry way today. What was I thinking? I have to go apologize! I can't believe I did that after promising to always be happy around him. I was just so caught up and overwhelmed by feelings, I was afraid of what I would do to him. He was already scared of me in a state of anger, I couldn't risk his trust again. I wonder what he is thinking right now. I have to go see him!

Wiping my eyes from tears, I started to get up off my bed. More tears started to fall from my eyes again as I made my way to the door. Just thinking about Emil made me smile though. I couldn't wait to get to see his face.

I quietly waked to his door and knocked on it a couple times. Just a few seconds later, the door opened slowly, revealing Emil's tired eyes. "Matthias?" he said, opening the door a bit more. I tried my best to keep it together in front of him, but just thinking about how my dad wanted me to kill this beautiful, amazing, guy made me start crying even more.

I walked into his room a bit more and wrapped my arms around him crying. I could tell I took him by surprise because he lifted up his hand to punch me, but stopped when he realized I was performing a harmless action.

Emil slowly wrapped his arms around me too, "Are you ok?" he asked.

I smiled, sniffling a little, "Now I am…"

**_A/N: I am going to end it there since the chapter was getting too long. Sorry for the sucky ending but something is about to happen so :/ I couldn't post last week due to the trip, so sorry about that! I am home now~_**

**_Review for the next update!_**

**_~NorwegianPilot17_**


	14. Winter Sway

**_A/N: MEEEEEEP. Hello :3_**

_Winter Sway_

We had been sitting on my bed for well over an hour now. Matthias had come into my room that amount of time ago, crying. At first I was afraid he was drunk again, my fears only getting worse when he hugged me. I was going to punch him off of me, but I quickly realized that all he was doing was crying into my shoulder.

"Are you ok?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his waist to comfort him a little.

Sniffling, he replied, "I am now…"

What was that supposed to mean? How could he get better so quickly like that? "Can I please talk to you?" he then asked, moving his arms tighter around my shoulders.

"We are talking right now," I replied, confused as to why he would ask such a silly question. He laughed a little after I stated that, and said, "I meant, can we talk about something important?"

"Sure," I answered, confused, "What kind of important would we talk about?"

"I have something specific in mind," he said, "Can we sit on your bed and talk?"

We finally ended the hug after he asked that question. His face was red and he still had tears falling from his eyes, but he was smiling. I couldn't say no to his face… Not even playing with him seemed right at the moment.

I nodded, "Of course," and smiled.

"Thank you!" he gasped, and closed the door to my room. We both walked over to my bed, and sat down.

I awkwardly sat in the middle of my bed, crossing my legs, as I laid a pillow in my lap. Matthias did the same and sat in the middle of the bed, facing me. "So…" I awkwardly said, "What do you want to talk about?"

Matthias smiled, and answered, "I just want to talk about you."

"I am an important topic?" I asked, confused as to what we could possibly talk about on the topic of me. "Of course!" he replied, "I love getting to learn more about you."

"Alright," I said, "What do you want to know?"

Matthias thought for a moment, almost looking troubled, as he stared into my eyes, "Emil… Have you ever thought about running away?"

"What?" I asked him, surprised by such a question. I had never thought about running away before, mainly because I knew I would never get the chance. If I did though, I would have definitely run away from the king. But why would he want to run away from this amazing, free living lifestyle?

Matthias sighed, "It sounds crazy, but I honestly hate being royalty. Don't you? I mean, our whole lives are planned out because of our parents and their mistakes. We are literally alive to fix the problems that they created. Don't you hate that?"

I looked down, trying to think about what Emil might say. I ended up stuttering, "I-I don't know…"

"Emil it's just me. You can voice your own opinion. How do you feel about all this royalty stuff?" Matthias asked, staring intensely at me with his stern eyes.

I stared at Matthias for a second, trying to see if this was a trick or some way to get information out of me, but then I realized that he was right. It really was just him. I trusted him, and I could trust him with my honest opinion on royalty. "To me...royalty has been in control of my life since before I can remember. I never got to even have a life because of it. I hate how royalty thinks that they can just ruin people's lives and not-! Sorry… I am ranting…"

"No it's fine!" Matthias smiled, "I'm glad you feel the same."

Hesitantly, I smiled, looking down. What was I supposed to do now? I waited for Matthias to speak again. "Hey Emil, I have another question for you," he ended up saying.

"What is it?" I asked, looking back up at him again.

"Well…" he laughed a little, smiling, "I was wondering if you wanted to be my date for Tino and Berwald's wedding?"

This question caused an instant blush across my features. What did he just ask? Me be a date? I thought back to when Arthur and Alfred were teaching me about relationship stuff. Date was a step up from best friend, I think I recall. It was just a step below engaged too… Wait were we going to get engaged soon?! This was all going so fast, what was I supposed to say to him?

He did just say for the wedding though, so it could be fine. I seriously cannot get any closer to him than this. I need to stay fake with him. I need to honestly not care for him at all. So why am I really happy right now? I need to stop! This mission is now becoming dangerous for me too. Why does he have to be so nice and caring?

I have to say no.

"Yes," I answered, smiling.

WAIT WHAT? Oh great, is my body doing the thing where I think one thing and say another again? ...I thought I just got over that. And now it is too late.

Matthias was already looking ecstatic as he replied, "Great! I can't wait to be able to dance with you, and-!"

"Dance?" I asked, without thinking yet again about the outcome of some of the stuff I say. What was dance though, and why did he really want to do it with me?

"Yep! It's the most fun part about weddings to me. I have been to a couple of weddings, but I have never had someone I cared about as much as you be my date and dance partner!" he explained.

I still could imagine I had a confused expression on my face. What was dancing?! I don't think I can ask him what it is, because it was probably something so obvious to normal people. Do I have time to sneak out and ask Alfred and Arthur what it meant before the wedding? The wedding was in two days now, but things were bound to get pretty crazy in the castle because of it.

I didn't even notice that I was looking down with a troubled face until it was lifted up with Matthias' gentle hand. I was about to ask why he made the gesture, but he spoke before I could, asking, "Are you alright?"

"Ya," I answered without thinking, "Why would I not be?" I was trying to think of a way I could ask him about dancing, without giving it away that I didn't know what it was. Suddenly I thought of an idea.

"I just…" I started out saying, looking down so I didn't have to look him in the eyes as I admitted, "I don't know how to dance…"

"What?" he asked, causing me to look up at him.

Dancing was probably a thing that everyone knew how to do, wasn't it? "Forget it," I quickly said, laughing to cover up what I said. I knew what reaction he was going to have though. He was definitely not going to just 'forget' what I had said.

I was proven correct when he replied, "No, I can't just forget it. Do you really not know how to dance?"

I looked down, wishing he could actually stop caring for once. I didn't want to get into something I had no idea about. "Please, I-!" I started to say, but he grabbed my hand and got us both off the bed.

"If you don't know how to dance, then I will teach you. It is pretty simple, and there is really only one dance that Berwald and Tino are definitely going to have at their wedding." he smiled, taking is out into the middle of the room.

"What kind of dance is that?" I asked, still confused as to what a dance even was.

"A slow dance," he grinned, stopping when we got to the center of the room.

To be honest, I was scared. No, I was terrified. What if dancing was dangerous? I had so many thoughts in my mind, until one thought stood out. This was Matthias telling me to do something. Would he ever want to hurt me? I don't think so, at least… Dancing can't be too bad if he enjoys it so much, right?

My thoughts were cut off by him saying, "Now the first thing you do when you are about to dance is you get into position."

Position? Getting into position could be anything! He could literally be sacrificing me to Thor right now, and that is just what the Danes call dancing. Wait. I don't know why I have to keep reminding myself, but this really is just Matthias. He is kind, loving, and caring Matthias. He would never harm me, so I better listen to him and get into whatever position he is talking about.

"Now for this dance, you are going to have to be the girl position," he said, looking at me.

"Why do I have to be the girl?" I complained, crossing my arms.

"Because," he smiled, "The man has to lead and do you want to lead when you don't know how to dance?"

Dammit, he got me on that… I guess I could be a girl just this once. But I will get amazing at the dancing thing, and I will be the man next time we 'dance'. Oh wait, there won't be a next time after this wedding thing… I don't know why I forgot that. Hopefully we will be able to dance one more time before I have to take him back to Norway.

Matthias smiled and put a hand on my waist. I was about to punch him for making such a movement, but he quickly stopped me and said that it was part of the positions. I apologized and he kept putting us both in the correct position to dance.

He grabbed my left hand and put in on his shoulder, as he explained, "For this particular dance, the girl's left hand is always on the guy's shoulder and the guy's left hand is always on the girl's hip."

"What do our right hands do?" I asked, looking up at him.

He then held my right hand and put it out to the close side, "They hold each other," he explained, starting to sway back and forth. "What are you doing now?" I asked, wondering why we were just swaying like this. Was this all dancing was? This was pretty easy!

"I'm just getting warmed up for what we are about to do," he said. Before I could ask another question, he already started to explain, "Now when I step backwards, you step forwards, and vice versa, alright?"

"O-Ok," I barely got to say, before he started to step backwards with a beat. I quickly looked down and started to follow where his feet were going. When he walked backwards, I walked forwards, and when he walked forwards, I walked backwards. It was starting to get really fun, the longer we did it. It was almost like solving a puzzle and trying to think quickly, as you moved around across the floor.

I looked up when I got more comfortable, and smiled at Matthias, "This is fun!"

He smiled back, saying, "I know, right?" He then spun us around, still using the same motions in his feet. We started slowly dancing in circles across my room, as we used the same patterns we started off with. I even found our bodies getting closer and closer together up to the point where our chests were almost touching.

Matthias suddenly slowed down our dancing and said, "Sometimes when dancing, you and your partner just sway in silence, and listen to the music that usually is playing in the background."

I took note of everything he was saying as I absentmindedly rested my head on his chest. I was so comfortable where I was right now, and I could hear his heart beat. I felt so relaxed as we just swayed, and stepped around in a circle slowly. Everything about him was warm and gave me such a great feeling inside that I couldn't explain.

Was this love? No. It couldn't be. This feeling was what Arthur and Alfred described as love, but this was all fake. My feelings are fake until this mission is over. Why do I keep forgetting that? I was about to push myself off of Matthias, but my plan was stopped when he asked, "Want to try something cool?"

"Sure," I said, curious as to what he had in mind.

He smiled and took his hand off my hip, and lifted our linked hands in the air. "Relax you hand, and let me lead you for this. Are you ready?" he asked, starting to step back.

"I guess," I said, before he moved his hand in a gesture that caused me to spin. The movement caught me by surprise as I stumbled back into him. "Whoa," I said, not being able to contain a smile that spread across my lips.

"Wasn't that fun?" He asked, smiling.

"Ya!" I replied, "Can we try that again?"

He grinned, "Of course!" He then stepped back a little, and moved his arm in the same way, causing me to spin around again. This time, I was a little bit better at keeping my balance, but I still stumbled back into his arms again.

He put his hand on my waist again, and I followed in suit by putting my hand on his shoulder. He spoke, "You are very good at this. It is hard to believe you never knew how to dance."

I smiled shyly, looking up at him, "Thank you…"

Our chests were touching to the point where I could almost feel his heart beat against mine. He stared intently into my eyes, as he said, "Emil, you look so beautiful tonight…"

"What?" I asked, blushing, "I just look normal…"

He smiled, almost laughing a little, "You look beautiful all the time, so that isn't a surprise."

I felt my blush turn warmer and into a hot pink color. What were all of these compliments for? I don't know if it was just in my mind or our faces, specifically our lips were actually getting closer and closer to each other. It ended up definitely being real when it was visible that Matthias was staring at my lips too. To be honest, I was doing the same to him.

He turned his head, and started to get closer and closer to me, to where our lips were practically brushing together. Why wasn't I stopping this? Do I even want to stop this? We were so close to kissing, and I was so close to going against everything I believed was right.

Suddenly, something changed in Matthias' eyes. He quickly stepped back a few feet, and looked down at the ground, blushing.

"I'm sorry…" he said, looking back up at me, "I shouldn't have done that."

I was honestly breathless. I could feel my heart beating through the tips of my fingers and my ears were filled with the sound of my heart. It was racing, even more than my mind right now. Why was everything so confusing at the moment?

Footsteps could be heard down the hall, away from my door. Both of us looked towards the door then back at each other.

"I should go now," he said, smiling. He came closer again, and gave me a quick hug before leaving quietly.

A few minutes later, I was still standing where I was when he left.

We really were about to kiss weren't we? What made him stop? Was it because I hated kissing before? What made me change my mind about kissing in the first place? Just the thought of the king kissing me like that made my stomach turn, but with Matthias, my view on the action was different.

It was love.

But isn't it supposed to be fake? Aren't all of my feelings for Matthias supposed to be fake? That is what I have been telling myself, right? So why now? Why have I changed? Why must I change when freedom is so close?

I don't even know what to think anymore…

**_A/N: Well that chapter took a fracking long time to get out. Let me just break it down for you though. A WHOLE WEEK OF MIGRAINES. You're welcome. _**

**_Review for the next chapter!_**

**_~NorwegianPilot17_**


	15. Winter Sensation

**_A/N: Heyy! Sorry my chapters are getting later and later. Summer is over, and I am busy again, but I will still be able to post every week. I will just be late sometimes. Sorry :3_**

**_But ya, hope you enjoy this chapter! _**

_Winter Sensation_

Time had passed since the night where Matthias taught me how to dance. It was also the night where we almost kissed… Things had been so crazy since then that I didn't get any time to talk to him about it. And frankly… I don't really want to. I want things to remain the way they are, so I don't know why I keep wanting to talk to him about that night, and… thinking about what would have happened if he didn't stop his plan to kiss me.

It was now the morning of the wedding, and I was sitting alone at the kitchen table, sipping coffee. Matthias was either still sleeping or was helping Tino and Berwald out with some last minute wedding plans. I had been avoiding him the past day because I needed to get my mind straight.

When I am with him I am happy, but everything is so confusing. I just need a break. I still am planning to be his date to the wedding, but I don't even know what to wear to a wedding. Maybe I should visit Alfred and Arthur today. I mean, I haven't visited them in a while, and I do have many questions…

I started to get up, because that plan to meet up with Alfred and Arthur wasn't a bad one. It would have to be quick though, since the wedding was in just two hours. I don't know how long that is, but maybe Arthur and Alfred could teach me that too.

Right when I got up from the table though, two arms wrapped around my waist, and pulled me close to a body. Startled, I quickly turned around only to be met with the face of Matthias.

"Hello~" he said, smiling.

"Matthias, you scared me! Don't do that," I scolded him, trying to break free, but his hold was too strong.

He laughed, "I'm sorry! It's just, I haven't seen you in forever!"

"You saw me last night," I corrected him, frowning.

"But we didn't talk!" he whined letting go of me a little bit.

"That is still not forever," I retorted, backing up to get away from his hold.

He pouted, crossing his arms as he looked down at the ground. Looking at him like that, made me start to feel guilty. ...Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on him. It has felt like ages since we last talked, and it wouldn't be nice to start attacking him right when we see each other again. I just get so confused when I am with him…

I awkwardly scooted closer to him again, feeling guilty for what I said to him. I did the thing that he always does to me, which was using a finger or two to lift up his head. That action always made me feel better, so it might work with him! When I got his head up, I could see his glossy blue eyes. I smiled to assure him that I still ...loved him as much as ever.

He then smiled widely and hugged me tightly again. This caused me to smile for real. His hugs were always so warm and safe-like.

As we hugged, he said, "I love you so much, Emil!"

I didn't move from my position as I smiled, "I know…"

He ended our hug, and stared at all of me for a few seconds, "You need to get ready! Do you have anything to wear? Oh wait… you don't have anything. That's fine! I can let you borrow something suitable for the wedding, because it is just two hours!"

"What?" I asked, starting to get nervous at the fact that two hours sounded like such a short time by the way he was telling me it.

He grabbed my hand and started to drag me to his room. I smiled at the fact that things were kind of like they normally were when we first met. It was now such a good feeling when he dragged me everywhere and gave me his smile.

Though it really was a short time since we last saw each other, I missed this.

~(***)~

Two hours and a lot of outfits later, I was now standing in the second row of the formation assigned to the guests, waiting for Tino to walk down the pathway between the two formations in the area.

This was an outside wedding, and it was on a grass area covered in snow. Right behind where Tino and Berwald were supposed to get married was the ocean. There was a huge viking ship waiting there too. Matthias told me that Tino and Berwald were going to leave on that ship near the end of the party to go on what was called a marriage trip.

This all sounded so exciting, that it made me want to have one right now!

At the moment, the guests, which were various people that both Tino and Berwald knew, were standing up, and murmuring amongst one another. Matthias was up at what was called an altar, standing next to Berwald, a man in a weird outfit, and Eduard.

I admit, Matthias did look really handsome in his white and blue fur coat on, and black underneath. His smile made him look even more attractive. Seriously though, doesn't it hurt to smile that much?

Berwald was wearing a light blue, fur coat with white underneath, while Estonia was wearing the same thing as Matthias. He looked less hot though… Good thing people can't hear my thoughts.

It had been thirty minutes that we were standing outside, and it even started to snow during the first ten minutes. I saw earlier that some servants were setting up for the after party, and it looked like fun. This whole things was going to be exciting, and I couldn't wait for it to start!

I looked back up to Matthias, who was actually already staring at me. He had a big grin on his face, as his eyes widened. I laughed at his facial expression, because with his eyes, he was obviously trying to tell me how excited he was. I rolled my eyes playfully and smiled back at him, and he laughed in return, blushing.

I then blushed, realizing what we just did. We did the thing that Alfred and Arthur did where we talked to each other with our eyes. It was more fun than I thought it would be. I smiled, thinking about how great it felt to be able to have someone to do that with.

Just when I thought that, violins started playing and everyone turned to the back. I followed them, and I was greeted with the image of Tino standing at the back of the wedding set up, with light blue flowers in his hands, and he was wearing light blue and golden clothing.

He looked so happy as he started walking down the snow covered pathway towards Berwald. Everyone was even happier when he got to Berwald, and they said their vows and proclaimed their love for one another. When the man in the odd outfit pronounced them married, they kissed, and everyone cheered. I didn't exactly cheer though, since I did not get the memo to do that after they kissed.

Were there instructions in the invitation or was that another tradition I didn't know about? Eh, well, either way, I enjoyed the whole wedding, and I couldn't wait for the after party, because if that was Matthias' favorite part over this, then it really must be something amazing.

Tino and Berwald walked inside first, before everyone scattered into groups, and we all slowly started walking inside after them. Matthias found me immediately after, and embraced me in a hug, "Hey Emil! Did you like the wedding?"

I nodded my head, "It was amazing," I smiled. I had no idea if this was a good wedding or not compared to others, because this was the first one I have ever seen. In my opinion, it really was amazing, and I am glad it was my first wedding.

Matthias held my hand, which I was too much in a good mood to say no to. We walked inside with the rest of the crowd and was greeted with live music playing, and food and drinks everywhere. Matthias squeezed my hand, and grinned at me, saying, "This is going to be so much fun!"

I smiled back at him, "Ya, I can't wait."

When we walked inside, some men were already clearing out beer bottle while women stood around in groups, talking about things I had no interest in. There were flowers and food everywhere, and the set up was beautiful. Tino and Berwald were very good at planning weddings.

"Where's Tino and Berwald?" I asked, not being able to see them anywhere.

Matthias shrugged, "They are probably up in their room making out or something. The bride and groom usually disappear for a bit at their weddings, so I wouldn't worry. They will most likely be down in a moment for the party."

"Oh," I nodded, thinking about the weird tradition.

After that, Matthias and I went around, trying some of the food and talking to some of the guests. Normally I probably would have been scared with strangers, but it was definitely easier with Matthias holding my hand the whole time.

When the sky started to darken, announcing night time, people started to dance to the fast playing music. I watched on the side lines with Matthias, as some people, too drunk to function, stumbled around the dance floor. It really was an amusing sight to most guests, but all had turned attention to a certain door when a trumpet sounded for Tino and Berwald's arrival.

Everyone clapped and cheered again when they entered the room. They were both holding hands as they walked in, and smiling wide. It was such a happy sight to see. Matthias hugged me from behind again, and whispered, "The dancing part is coming up. You excited?"

Though I was more nervous than excited, I nodded, smiling. Since Matthias was leading me, it would all be ok.

The first dance was given out to Tino and Berwald since that was their first dance as a married couple. Everyone watched, some women crying even, as they slow danced to the sounds of the violins and a few other instruments.

When that was over, a different piece of slow music started playing, and couples started going out to the floor and dancing. Matthias led me out to a spot on the open area where everyone was dancing. He put one hand on my waist, and held my hand out to the side, smiling. I did the same, putting my other hand on his shoulder.

We started swaying a bit as Matthias leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "You look so beautiful," he said to me, smiling.

This caused me to blush as I replied, "T-Thank you… You look beautiful too…"

He laughed, "Why thank you very much! That means a lot coming from someone as perfect as you~"

"Please," I replied, "I'm not perfect…"

"Oh, yes you are!" he responded, spinning us around a bit. I followed along with his beat as we dance around in a circle around the dance floor. I blushed, not knowing what to say. How was I supposed to respond to that?

I decided to just reply by resting my head against his chest. It was easier than speaking, to be honest… It was actually kind of fun to listen to his heart though. The sound of the beating of his heart was so relaxing, that I couldn't help but smile and close my eyes.

"I love the sound of your heart," I ended up saying without thinking. I opened my eyes when I realized what I said, and felt a blush appear on my face.

I looked up to see what his reaction was, and he was smiling. "I love you so much," he said, grinning. He leaned in close and kissed me on the cheek, pulling away quickly. I was pretty sure that both of us were blushing at this point, as we stared at each other, not knowing what to say.

Finally, I smiled, and replied, "I love you too." I tried not to thinking about the meaning of those three words, because I didn't want to really love him. Not when I knew what his fate was… I then started to notice that he was leaning in closer.

This was oddly familiar to what happened the other night. Was he going to pull away again? Were we not going to talk to each other afterwards for a day or two? Was I going to be left here confused and wondering why he didn't kiss me again?

Why does this keep happening? I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to pull away and I didn't know if I should kiss him. I stared into his eyes, wondering if he was as confused as I was right now. He looked like he was trying to do the same thing as me.

When we had been staring at eachother, lips almost touching, for almost three minutes, I decided that it was time to just close the gap between us. What did I have to lose? We were a date only for one night, weren't we? We could just kiss, and I could use the date thing as an excuse!

I closed my eyes, and brushed our lips together, not really knowing how to actually kiss someone. I have only been kissed against my will, so this was most likely different. Right when I acted on the kiss, I felt Matthias start to kiss me back.

My heart started to beat faster, as he wrapped both his arms around my waist. I did the same as him, and brought him close as we kissed. It was sweet and soft, and nothing like I originally thought it would be.

We separated, staring at eachother for a moment. Matthias was smiling and practically giggling as he stared at me. I couldn't think of anything to do, but I was seriously happy. There was a feeling in my stomach or in my gut that made be just want to explode with joy! What was this feeling? I never wanted to let it go…

"Wow…" Matthias breathed out, still smiling. He laughed a little, not letting go of my waist. I would have responded, but all I could think about was wanting more of that feeling that I had when I kissed him. I couldn't believe I was about to do and say this, but, "Umm…." I stuttered a little, still not completely thinking about what I was doing, "Do you want to… disappear for a bit?"

Half of me was yelling and screaming at myself for doing this, but a more major part of me was happy that I was doing this. This was freedom right? It was a taste of it? I was getting to do whatever I wanted! There were so many reasons why it was ok for me to do this, and...and I don't want to do it with anyone but Matthias.

Matthias grinned when he realized what I meant, and asked, "Are you sure?"

I nodded my head, "Yes."

He then smiled, lightly grabbed my hand, and lead me to a door that led to an empty hallway. Right when the door closed, Matthias hugged me and said, "I know how this is not important to most people, but I know how much you care about kisses, and I wanted you to know that I absolutely love you, Emil, and I will never take advantage of you. You can trust me, ok?"

I paused when I heard the words escape his mouth. I… almost felt like I was using him to get a better taste of this freedom. Not just for the plan though, for this whole kiss, too. He was doing this out of love, and what was I doing this out of?

I didn't even quite know what love was, and I was doing this. How do I even feel love? Do you only feel it in kisses? I did feel something completely different when we did kiss the first time tonight, so that must be it… I have to try it again to see.

Smiling, I replied, "I know."

This caused him to grin even more, and leaned in quicker this time to kiss me. I didn't hesitate to kiss him back either. It was a bit more rough than last time, but it was still as sweet and with so much trust. I moved my arms up to his neck while he kept his hands at my waist.

After a few seconds, we ended up pressing up against a wall, with my leaning against it, facing him. I could get a grin off my face as I kissed him more and more.

We stopped for breaths every once and a while, but there was only a very short break before we started kissing again. With our chests pressed against each other, I could feel his heart beat against my own. I started to feel the wonderful feeling again, too.

"I love you so much," I accidentally said out loud, while kissing him. Where did that come from? I didn't plan that. There was no way that could be fake if I said it without thinking, right? I knew this was bad for me, but I couldn't help but feel happy that I really could be loving him back.

Matthias smiled at what I said, and started to repeat it, but then I heard someone clear their throat which caused us both to stop kissing for a moment and look in the direction of that sound. To my surprise and horror, I saw Arthur.

He was leaning up against the door, just looking at us with a small smile across his face.

Matthias didn't know who this was though, and asked, "Who are you?"

"Oh, I apologize for not introducing myself sooner," Arthur spoke up, straightening his back, "I am Arthur. I am one of Emil's friends and his ride home. Is it alright if I speak to him privately for a moment? There is a… problem about the ship," he looked to me, "It is urgent."

**_A/N: WHEN YOU TRY YOUR BEST BUT YOU DON'T SUCCEEEEEEED._**

**_Woah Lukas, you are getting feisty, aren't you, little lady boy?_**

**_Please review for the next chapter!_**

**_~NorwegianPilot17_**


	16. Winter Stray

**_A/N: Heyo~_**

_Winter Stray_

"Can this wait?" Matthias asked, stepping away from me as he stared at Arthur.

I knew that Arthur wouldn't come here just for a ship problem, so there was definitely another reason, and it was most likely very important. To ensure that I could hear it as quickly as possible, I said to Matthias, "I'm sure if Arthur came all the way here for me, then it is urgent. I won't be long, alright?"

Matthias looked at Arthur, "Is it urgent?"

Arthur nodded. Matthias then looked back at me, and said, "Alright. Please make it back before the end of the party. I don't want you to miss too much of your first wedding." he smiled, and kissed me on the cheek.

I blushed, having Arthur here to witness that. I smiled at him, trying to make the moment go by as fast as possible before saying to Arthur, "Let's go."

Arthur answered, "Ok," before leading me out of the castle and towards the ship.

As we were walking, Arthur looked at me and smiled, as he said, "So… you and Matthias are a thing now, yes?" This caused me to blush as I stuttered, "N-no! Well… I don't know...I guess?" I groaned as I kept walking, "I am so confused… I don't know how I feel about him, but I am certain it is...love…" I looked down. I don't why I was telling him something so extremely personal, but who else could I tell it to? I couldn't just keep it in…

I felt him pat me on the back as he responded cheerfully, "That is great, isn't it?"

I nodded, "Not exactly. I-I know it won't work out…"

"And why is that?" he asked, confused, as we kept walking, the ship now close in our sight. I shrugged, because I couldn't tell him the truth, "I don't know… a feeling?"

Arthur stared at me for a moment before saying, "You are very unsure of everything lately. And I mean even more so than when you first came here. Why is that?"

I shrugged again, "I am just confused about everything. That is all. It will all go away when I leave though."

"Leave?" Arthur asked, shocked, "Why would you leave here? Why would you want to go back to the king, when you have a great life right here?"

I was about to answer, but decided not to when he realized I didn't know why I was going back anymore. I made up his mind that Matthias could beat the king if he needed to. Why was I still going back then? I had freedom here! I had love! I had so much, so why was I still going along with this plan?

Arthur then stopped us both when we had reached the ship, and said, "Before we go in… I must tell you a summary of the real reason why we brought you back to this ship. We found someone… who knows who you are… He came by here last week asking for you, and we decided to wait until you came on your own, but you never did, so I decided to fetch you, myself. I will let him explain everything to you, and he is very trustworthy."

I was confused, but still smiled, getting a gist of what he was saying. Was someone really claiming that they knew who I was? I had never met anyone in my life before this trip! How could that be possible?

"Can I go see him now?" I asked, already starting to walk to the ship. No matter what his answer was, I would meet this man. I had to know who I was before the darkness that became so normal to my life.

Thankfully, Arthur smiled and said, "Of course you can!"

I then started to run up the dock to the ship to meet the possible answer to many questions. I climbed the ladder to the top deck of their ship, and Arthur led me from there to where Alfred and this man was.

We went down a hall towards the room where Arthur and Alfred normally had breakfast, and I could see two figures sitting at the table. I could see Alfred completely, but I could only see the back of the man's head. So far, all I knew was that he had white-ish hair. Was that normal? It was kind of cool to be honest, but I don't remember anyone with that color hair being in my life.

Arthur nudged me to walk into the room, so I did, but slowly. I started to hear the conversation the two were having, and it was about a thing called a puffin. I have no idea what that is, but the white haired man seemed very fascinated by them.

As I got closer, Alfred started to notice me and looked up, smiling, as he said, "Oh, Emil! This is Lukas~"

I immediately started to get nervous about meeting the person. Did Alfred just say this boy was Emil? The real Emil? My heart skipped a beat. Was he sent by his father to see the progress I have made? Why would Arthur and Alfred make me talk to him without telling me this major detail?

Emil suddenly turned around to see me though, and our eyes locked. That was when I realize just how familiar he looked.

"Do I...know you?" I found myself saying without thinking.

I was expecting some kind of answer, but all I got in response was him staring at me with wide eyes. It wasn't until a few moments was when he got up and rushed over to hug me, crying. I was so confused… Why was he crying?

"Lukas," he said, crying and hugging me, "Do you really not remember anything?"

I shrugged, trying to get out of his grip on me, "Not really, sorry…. But I really don't think we have met."

I stared at Alfred and Arthur, hoping that they would help me out of this awkward situation, but they just stood there, not doing anything at all. What was going on?

Sniffling, Emil finally let go of me. It was obvious that he was crying, but I didn't know what emotion he was crying for. He then said, "Lukas...you may not believe me, but...we're brothers."

I took me a moment to process he said. Did he even say what I think he said? Am I starting to hear things? Because I am pretty sure I just heard him tell me that we were brothers. Here I am just getting over the shock that he is the real Prince Emil, and then he hits me with another fact that is too important to dismiss so effectively. "...Lukas?" he said again, examining me once more.

"Huh?" I looked back up at him. I thought he looked familiar, but not that familiar. Why can't I remember him? How could I not remember my own brother? This had to be some trick he was playing on me right?

He took my hand and said, "I know this must be hard for you, but you have to believe me! You are my older brother. You disappeared when you were around the age of five, and never came back. You were best friends with Matthias. Where have you been all this time? Why now have you come back?"

This was so much information to take in and too many questions to possibly answer. I didn't even know where I was all that time! How was I supposed to tell him? I quickly sat down, because I knew that if I didn't do that quickly, then I would indeed faint from all this.

Emil sat down in the chair in front of me, saying, "...So…?"

"S-So?" I replied back, looking down, "I honestly don't remember you or anything else. I'm sorry…"

"Oh," Emil said, looking down. He actually looked genuinely unhappy when I said that. This couldn't be a trick, could it? If so, he was really good at acting… "But-!" I ended up saying, not wanting him to be depressed, "You do look really familiar…"

Emil smiled a little, "I guess that's a start. Can you answer what happened to you though? Where have you been?"

I nodded my head, "I don't know where I have been…. I just know that it was dark, and I was there since I can remember. I do know that the king, your dad, was holding me there though."

"I knew it…" Emil replied in anger, "I am so sorry that that was your life. I have no idea why dad did this to you, but I will find out."

"Dad…" I replied, "If you are my brother, then does that mean that he is my dad too?"

Emil nodded, "Sadly… If- If I knew sooner that he did this to you, then I would have gotten you out, but… I am so sorry, Lukas!" he then hugged me again, while I was still trying to process everything again.

The king….was my dad?! What was this about? Why would he trap me in a dark room and treat me terribly for most of my life? That isn't what dads are supposed to do. They are supposed to be supporting and teach me how to live life. He had only destroyed it.

Now I knew where I was from and who my family was. This was a question I was wishing to get the answer to for a very long time now. I just wish it wasn't as disappointing and confusing as it was being right now.

"Don't be sorry…" I ended up saying to him, "I just.." I looked up, realizing that Alfred and Arthur were still in the room, "Can we talk privately outside the boat for a moment?"

"Sure," he responded, starting to walk out. I looked to Alfred and Arthur who looked very happy about 'reuniting' us, but I still didn't feel right about the situation. How could I not remember him?

The real Emil and I walked off the ship and onto the dock to talk for a bit. Emil made the first move, by saying, "So… What do you want to talk about?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, I thought you had more to say."

Emil laughed, "That sounds like a typical response from you.. Oh hey, wait! You are spending time with Matthias, right? I am surprised he doesn't recognize you, to be honest…"

"Well, he did tell me, thinking that I was you, of course, that I 'looked a lot like my brother, Lukas'," I smiled, sitting down on the dock, along with Emil.

Emil laughed at this, "If only he knew the truth though," he smiled, looking at me, "You guys were practically in love, you know…"

"We were only kids though, weren't we?" I asked, blushing a little at the fact that I had felt love for the same person before, and this boy who was supposed to be my little brother knew.

Emil shrugged, "Does it matter? Love is love," he then laughed again, "Matthias made you pledge that you were going to marry him once. When you did, I think that is when dad went crazy on you and Matthias. At least, that was the last thing before you 'fake died'."

"I fake died?!" I asked, surprised, "Is that why you didn't know I was gone?"

Emil nodded, "Ya… You know dad is a homophobe, right? That probably is why this all went down… Wait, this isn't too much information for you, is it? I don't want to drive you mad or anything."

"No, no," I replied, trying to process how me saying yes to a boy wanting to marry me was justifiable for his actions, "Where was… mom, I guess, at this time?"

Emil looked down, "Mom… died… a year before you disappeared. I think that is another one of the reasons why dad went crazy. You actually looked a lot like her, so I could see how painful it was on him...but still. What he did to you was not right, and when we go back to Norway and you become king, we can get him back for this, once and for-!"

"Me become king?" I asked, interrupting him in the process. Emil nodded, smiling, "Well, of course. You are the next of kin, so it would only make sense if you take your rightful place as the king of Norway when you return."

"But," I shook my head, "I can't- I-I don't want to be the king. I am not fit for that," I laughed out of worry, "I can barely do regular stuff on my own, how would I rule a kingdom?"

Emil put his hand on m y shoulder to calm me down, "Don't worry," he replied, "You have a while until you get to actually become king. I thought that I had to take the throne before I found out you were still alive, and I honestly didn't care. It isn't that big of a deal."

I nodded, thinking about how crazy he was for thinking that ruling a kingdom was 'not a big deal'. Was it really that easy for him? I sighed, changing the topic to something else to get to know him better. Though this was all super crazy, it was exciting getting to see the family I always wanted to have. It was even stranger realizing that I was with family my whole life and didn't even realize it until now.

Emil and I ended up talking for two hours until I realized that I had to go. I ended up learning a lot about him, and he was really nice to be around! He was a lot different from Matthias, but was equally as friendly. When I had to go back to the party, I found myself thinking about what life would have been like if the king didn't take me away from Emil. Would we still be as good as friends as he said we were? Would I even be married to Matthias thanks to that pact we made? Would we all three be great friends? I smiled at the thoughts of life being normal, as I walked up to the still loud party.

The boat that was resting behind the altar was gone, and people were now frighteningly drunk. I was about to walk back to the ship to just wait there until all these drunk people were gone, but suddenly somebody grabbed me from behind and lifted me up in the air.

I knew who it was (who else could it be), but that didn't stop me from shrieking out. I turned around and shouted, "Matthias stop doing that!"

Sure enough, Matthias was there with a surprised look on his face as he asked, "How did you know it was me?!"

I smirked, "You are too predictable these days."

He grabbed my hand, and smiled, "Ah, if you don't want me to be 'too predictable' anymore just say so~" I was about to respond back, explaining how it was just a joke, but then he pulled me into a kiss, causing me to forget what I was even about to say.

He smiled, "Now is that less predictable?" I nodded, with a blush on my face, "Just a bit…"

Matthias then pulled me away a bit more from the party, and said, "Come on, let's get away from all these people. They are drunk off their minds and a bit scary even to me now. But don't worry, I didn't even have a sip, because I know how you hate it~"

I smiled at this, "Thank you," I said, as he dragged me behind him upstairs to his room. When he closed the door to his room behind us both, we could still hear the music and loud shouts of joy and singing coming from the downstairs and outside.

"Wow, they are really loud…" I said, sitting on his bed, as he followed up after me.

"I know.." he said, smiling, "It is different when you are one of them though. It is a lot of fun, but I'd rather be with you!"

This caused me to blush, then remembering how Matthias and I made a pact to be together forever and in marriage. Of course… now technically he was wanting this with Emil. I felt a feeling of jealousy pang in my chest, as I thought about that. Why was I jealous? He still technically wanted it all with me, I just had a different name.

I layed back on the bed as an attempt to get the thoughts out of my mind. Matthias, who was sitting next to me decided to roll over so he was half lying on me. He gave a goofy grin, causing me to laugh, as I asked, "What are you doing?"

"I just remembered something," he responded, still smiling, "I get to kiss you on the lips now~"

I blushed at this, as he then kissed me, putting his arms on both sides of me, locking me in that position. I smiled, starting to kiss him back. This kiss was just like our first one, sweet and innocent, and still held so much love within it.

When Matthias ended the kiss, he looked into my eyes for a while, smiling, before he said, "I love you so much, Emil."

He then hugged me, still lying half on top of me, as he nuzzled his face into my neck. This moment would have been amazing, but I couldn't help but think about how it wasn't my name he was saying it to. I was just some imposter that he happened to fall in love with. I wish I could tell him that I was really Lukas, even though I couldn't remember anything. I just feel like that would ruin the trust in our relationship and our relationship in general.

I love what we have, and I don't want to ruin it…

As I thought about what I should do, and if there is even still a plan I am following anymore, I replied back to him, "I love you too…"

I thought about how I needed to see Emil again. I needed to learn more about my past and my family. Oh, and for everyone's sake I need to know more about my little brother! It must have been hard thinking that your big brother was dead and then one day, many years in the future, you find out he is alive and pretending to be you… I keep realizing how twisted my family and all this is.

But I need to make one decision very fast. I don't think I can go much longer without deciding this, and I think Emil can help me with coming up with a conclusion. I need to know which is more important. Freedom or Matthias?

**_A/N: Lukas needs to choose quickly, because some s**t is about to go down. HUEHUEHUE._**

**_Please Review for the next chapter!_**

**_~NorwegianPilot17_**


	17. Winter Sleep

**_A/N: When you see the ending of a fic in sight. _****_L_********_. LOL I don't know when I will end this, but I know we are definitely over half way there, children. _**

**_BTW, If I haven't responded to one (or all) or your reviews, it is mainly because I am very busy and such, but I must tell you guys thank you so much for the reviews. They really mean a lot and I love you all bunches~_**

**_Ooh and a chapter is finally on time! So proud ^_^_**

_Winter Sleep_

That morning, I woke up close to Matthias, our legs tangled together as he lightly breathed into my hair. His arms were wrapped around me, protecting me from the new, ever so fierce winter air. I smiled when my morning blurry vision came in focus, and I could see Matthias' face as he slept soundly, smiling. Without even thinking, I snuggled myself closer to him and nuzzled my face into his neck, thinking to myself that my actions were only to get more heat.

I didn't get much thinking done last night like I hoped, but I guess falling asleep unplanned wasn't that bad. Come to think of it, now that I found out kissing and hugging were more enjoyable than I thought, this was a more fun moment. And also the fact that this was the first morning I woke up with Matthias without people hovering over us.

Matthias started to move around a little, just to snuggle closer to me, but he never completely woke up. Just as he did these actions though, I started to hear footsteps walking along the hallway near our rooms.

Since Berwald and Tino weren't here, I didn't have to worry about anyone walking in on us anymore. It was quite relaxing actually. I seized the moment and kissed Matthias on the cheek since no one was around to watch me perform the action. It was quite nice getting to show affection to him without worrying about anyone judging me. I know he wouldn't, but since nobody actually trusted me (I didn't blame them), they didn't want me to be with Matthias.

Matthias then started to stir and flutter his eyes open. When his eyes were completely open, displaying a beautiful blue color, shining brightly from the cold sun glistening through the window, he smiled, seeing me. "Good morning…" he muttered, closing his eyes again, and snuggling close to me.

"Good morning," I smiled, getting closer to him for warmth again. "You're very snuggly in the mornings, aren't you?" he responded. This caused me to blush as I moved away a little, "No. I was just using you for warmth…"

Matthias laughed, propping himself up with his elbow to see me better. I noticed that his hair was super messy in the mornings, and it was truly a wonder as to how he got his hair so perfect every day. He leaned over to me, and kissed me on the lips, only causing me to blush more. This was a quicker kiss, mainly because we were both tired, causing us to already be out of breath.

He smiled, "You are so beautiful…"

"Gah!" I said without thinking, as I felt my face heat up, "Stop making me blush. I feel like my face is on fire…"

"Awe!" he laughed, flopping down into the position we were in last night with him propping himself up on one arm over me, "But you are so cute when you blush."

I lifted my hands up to my cheeks, "There you go again…" I muttered.

This only caused him to laugh more, as he leaned down to kiss me again. I smiled at his gesture and our amazing as always, sweet kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck to make him come closer. I wanted to hear his heart beat as we kissed, because it was always so calming. I finally got him to lay down on top of me, and I almost felt like our hearts were beating together. This truly was the closest I had ever gotten to someone, both physically and mentally.

The longer we kissed, the more we started to touch each other and try out new things. Of course, it was scary, but it was also a bit fun, too! Our legs were constantly entwining with each other as our stomachs kept gradually rubbing against one another.

Out of nowhere though, Matthias then started to bring his tongue to the front of his mouth, and licked the front of mine. Curious as to what he was doing, I allowed him to go further beyond my teeth. I didn't realize what he was doing though until our tongues touched, and he started to explore more of my mouth. This all caused multiple tingling feelings to shoot down my spine, leading to a soft moan escaping my mouth.

My face heated up because I had no idea where that sound came from. I didn't even know I could make a sound like that! It kept coming though. Every time Matthias would rub his stomach against mine or slide his tongue across the inside of my mouth, I couldn't control a moan from escaping my mouth.

Matthias smiled at the sounds I made, and retreated his tongue back to his mouth. "I love you so much," he said, getting up a little.

I smiled, "I love you too." I really did. There was no doubt in my mind that I loved Matthias. I wanted to spend my life with him. Once I figured out how to do that, I would feel like I was the happiest guy in all the lands.

"One more kiss?" I asked, smiling, causing Matthias to grin. He leaned forwards to kiss me, but right before our lips got to touch again, the door to his room opened up, and loud footsteps marched over to our bed. Before Matthias and I could get an idea on what was going on, Matthias was thrown off of me and on to another part of the bed.

Still confused, we both looked up at the figure who did that to Matthias, and it ended up being Matthias' father, the king. "Dad?" Matthias asked, confused, before his eyes widened and he looked at me.

"Dad don't-!" he said, just before his father grabbed me by my hair and through me to the ground. I landed in a heap on the floor, still confused as to what was going on. What did I do wrong? I winced at the pain of hitting the wooden floor so hard, and curled up in a ball to protect myself from any possible pain coming my way.

"Dad please sto-!" I heard Matthias yell, but he was interrupted when his father shouted back, "I thought I made myself loud and clear, Matthias!"

I covered my ears, because the booming voice over me was almost more painful than the fall to the ground. The king kept shouting, "You knew what you were supposed to do in the deadline instructed, and you deliberately disobeyed me! And what's worse, is you are making out with the evil brat of the bloodline!"

I was starting to try and sneak past the king to avoid any more injuries. I didn't know why he hated me or Emil right now, but the goal was to just get in a safe place and wait for Matthias to deal with this all.

"Dad…" Matthias warned, "Leave my room right now, or I swear-!"

"What are you doing, you little shit?!" I heard the thunderous voice again, as the king then kicked me in the ribs, causing me to go flying across the room, hitting my head on the wall. "Emil!" I heard Matthias shout.

A headache started to form as my vision went fuzzy. I could see a blurry sight of the king coming towards me again, so I started to get up with the help of the wall behind me. I looked up to see where the king was now, and what I saw was him raising a sword above me.

Was this it? There was no way I could dodge him, and his sword was already starting to come down fast. Matthias couldn't save me like I thought he always would. This really was the end. I closed my eyes and waited for the painful death, but instead, I heard a clashing sound.

I looked up to see Matthias in front of me with a sword in his hands, blocking his father's sword that was about to kill me. "Matthias!" I gasped out, happy that he really could save me.

"Go now," Matthias said to me, still trying to fight off his father's sword.

"But-!" I protested, not moving from where I was behind Matthias, but was interrupted when he said, "I love you Emil. I will stay safe as long as I know you are alive, ok? Now please… Go!"

I did as he said reluctantly, tears already starting to form in my eyes. Why was he risking his life for me? I did nothing to deserve him. If anything happened to him I don't know what I would do…

My vision began to get blurry again from tears and my headache kept getting worse and worse, as I ran down the stairs of the castle and towards the exit. I knew exactly where I would go to be safe and that was Arthur and Alfred. I couldn't deal with how I feel right now alone. I have to talk to Emil too, since he knows the whole truth.

I ran all the way to their ship without stopping until I climbed up the ladder on to the top deck. I went inside to see where they were, and found out that they were either gone or asleep. In a crying mess, I called out, "Alfred? Arthur? Emil?" I felt like I was on the verge of breaking out into sobs.

Why was I such a mess about this? It wasn't like I died. It wasn't like I was going to die. What was wrong with me? I suddenly heard a door fly open, and Arthur stepped out with a sword. "Who's here?" He shouted, looking around.

When his eyes landed on me, he lowered his sword, "Lukas? What are you doing here?"

Alfred then popped his head out of the room, "Oh! It was Lukas? That's good- Wait. Why are you crying?"

Just hearing them mention me crying like this, made me cry more. I suddenly felt arms wrap around me. Seeing that it was Alfred that hugged me, I leaned into his hold, and cried more.

"Lukas, what is wrong?" I heard Arthur say, as I felt his hand rub lightly up and down my back.

Through my sobs I tried to speak. It was hard, but I managed to say, "Matthias... He is fighting the king, and...and… He can't die!" I felt Alfred's arms wrap tighter around me as I cried harder than I have ever cried before. I love Matthias, and if anything does end up happening to him, I honestly don't know what I will do.

At this point, I would give away my freedom just to save Matthias.

**_A/N: And that seems like a good stopping point there~ Sorry for such a super short chapter :/ That just means that I'll make the next chapter extra awesome though as an apology _****_J_**

**_Review for the next chapter!_**

**_~NorwegianPilot17_**


	18. Winter Straffange

**_A/N: 0v0 Herro…_**

**_Little fact about the title. It is in Norwegian. You can comment was it means if you want. I think the rest of the titles might go back and forth from English and Norwegian._**

_Winter Straffange_

It had been two days since the king attacked both me and Matthias and I had run to Alfred and Arthur for safety. It had been two days that I have regretted ever leaving Matthias with the king. What if he was dead? I'm sure fights don't last two days, so what is taking him so long to get to me? I haven't been able to sleep or eat at all since then, and I don't think I will until I know he is ok.

"Lukas wake up!" I heard Alfred say on the other side of my door as he knocked three times on the wooden surface. I had never actually fallen asleep, so I was already awake, sitting in my bed, just thinking about Matthias.

"I am up," I mumbled, getting up from my bed, and putting my bangs behind my ear to get them out of my eyes. I opened to the door to find a smiling Alfred, but his smile soon turned to a frown when he saw me.

"Lukas are you alright? You look the same as you did when you first came here…" he said, pulling me out of my room. "I'm fine, and where are you taking me?" I asked, still being dragged to his room. Why were we going to his room?

He stopped in front of his own door, and said, "I have to show you to Arthur. We have to do something about this." He then pushed open the door, revealing Arthur in his regular outfit, sitting in a chair, writing on a piece of paper. He looked up, "Oh Lukas-! Oh wow… Are you alright?"

"Why does everyone keep saying that? Of course I am ok…" I replied, getting angry at the amount of questions that were being asked this early in the morning.

"Is this about Matthias?" he asked, ignoring my complaints.

"What do you think?" I growled, wishing I didn't come out of my room.

Arthur sighed, "Like I thought… Are you in love with him?"

This caused me to blush. Why would he ask something like that? That was business between just me and Matthias. What should I even say? Before I could even say anything, Arthur said, "You do… I can imagine how all this is tearing you apart…."

How did he know anything? He never loved anyone that risked their lives for him, while he was in safety, not knowing what even happened to them. He didn't know anything. "Lukas, if you want, maybe we could-!" Arthur started to say, but I interrupted him, sick of everything everyone was saying.

"No! You can't do anything! He would have come here by now if he was still alive. It's been two days! He is dead, and there is nothing we can do about it," I said, my own words causing me to tear up. After realizing how true they actually were though, I ran out of the room, and to the top deck.

Matthias really was gone, and there is nothing I can do about it. He is dead, and I am all alone… What even is freedom without Matthias? I'll have nothing to smile about, nothing to make me laugh, no one to love. If I am free without Matthias, I will feel just like a prisoner. There really is no difference in my mind.

Thankfully, Alfred and Arthur didn't chase me up to the top deck, so I was left alone. I could see just the tip of the highest peak of the castle from the top deck. So many memories in the castle with me and Matthias within such small time frame. I only got to know him for a short time, but I still love him so much. These thoughts were just enough to make my knees weaken, as I dropped to the floor and cried.

I stayed like that for a while, crying for Matthias and all that happened. Maybe if I was more careful. Maybe if I stayed fake and didn't feel anything for him, then none of this would have happened. I wouldn't be crying right now, and Matthias possibly wouldn't be dead. Why did bad things have to happen to those in love?

I kept crying, until I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Matthias?" I gasped out, as I turned around. What I saw was only Emil though… I had been avoiding him the past two days, because I didn't want him to see his older brother so weak. I wasn't even a good role model for my little brother, so why did he care about me?

"Lukas? Are you alright?" he asked, kneeling down to my level.

I shook my head looking down. He sighed, "I know…That was a rhetorical question, I'm sorry." He then hugged me, "You really love him don't you?"

I nodded, finally accepting that it was obvious to anyone who had eyes to see it. I leaned into his hold, "What if he is dead? What if I never see him agai-!"

Emil shushed me, "Thinking like that won't help you. Just give him some time; I'm sure his dad is just not letting him leave the castle to go after you. Plus, a father wouldn't try to kill his own son, alright?"

I looked to him, sniffling. He shrugged, "Except for our father… But I don't think Matthias' dad is like that."

I nodded, closing my eyes, and resting my head against his shoulder. Emil held me, leaning back against the wall of the top deck. He lightly stroked my hair, whispering, "Go to sleep, brother… Matthias is fine…."

~(***)~

I woke up a few hours later when the sky was growing dark, back in the comfort of my room. My vision was blurred most likely from lack of sleep, and I could hear my stomach faintly rumbling for the hundredth time in the last two days. I was in complete misery again. I honestly just wanted to go back to sleep to escape this all.

I rolled over on my side to see if anyone was in my room. I saw a figure, blurry as ever, and I tried to focus in on the person to see who it was. It was most likely Emil, but when my eyes finally focused in on the blurry figure, they widened, and I sat up quickly in my bed.

"Matthias?" I smiled, questioning myself if this was an illusion. It was probably too early for me to go insane yet, but it was a possibility. Was I now insane?

What I thought was Matthias, smiled and came over to me, lightly hugging me, and kissing my cheek. I felt him. I actually felt him- This couldn't be an illusion! I hugged him back, "I thought you were dead… how did you survive?"

Matthias whispered to me, smiling, "I told you I would live as long as I knew you were alive~ Plus, I don't think my dad would have killed me…"

"It sure looked like he was going to back there…" I muttered, looking down.

Matthias laughed, still hugging me, "I think he was mainly after you, but that is all behind us, ok? I'll tell you more later if you want."

"I do. Why are you whispering?" I asked him, changing the subject. I didn't even want to think about that king anymore now for what he did to Matthias. I don't know where he is now, but I hope he soon pays for what he did to Matthias.

"Because Arthur and Alfred went to bed a while ago, and I don't want to wake them. They told me that you hadn't slept in two nights, so I didn't want to wake you…" he replied.

I smiled, resting my head against his shoulder, "You're so thoughtful… What took you so long though? I was worried about you."

"Oh," Matthias replied, "My dad forbade me from ever seeing you again, so I had to sneak out. I will have to leave before morning, because he comes in my room every morning now to check and see if you are there or if I left. I took so long, because I had to see what time management I was working with."

"Ah," I nodded, "What happens if he sees you are gone?"

Matthias thought for a moment…then replied, "Knowing my dad, he would turn to violence and declare war on Norway. He would also definitely try to kill you too. I can't risk that…"

"So what, we can only see each other in the middle of the night now?" I said, looking up at him.

Matthias smiled, sadly, "Sounds a bit romantic… But I wish we could see each other more. I love you so much, Emil, and I hate that we are having to do this. As soon as I am crowned king, I will make sure we are never separated again and you are safe. We just… need to be cautious for now, alright?"

I nodded, stuffing my face into his shoulder, and wrapping my arms tightly around him, "You better become king fast then…"

Matthias laughed, wrapping his arms around me in return, "If I could, I would be king right now for you~"

I smiled, "How much time do you have left to be with me tonight?"

Matthias looked out the window of my room, seeing the moon which still hung brightly in the sky, "About an hour or so. He comes in early, and it is a ways back. I also need time to sneak around without being in a hurry."

"Wow, you really thought about this, didn't you?"

"Yep!" He grinned, laying down on my bed, pulling me down with him, "And now that we only have an hour left, let's spend it as well as we can!"

And we did, talking about the most random things thanks to Matthias' abrupt changes in the subjects. We laid in my bed for the hour, holding hands and memorizing every single part of each other's body, face, and voice, trying to take it all in before we had to be separated again. Normally, I wouldn't have cared about not seeing Matthias for a day, but in this situation, he might never come back to me. I might never see him again.

After that night, we kept meeting up with each other in the boat at the same times for a week and a half, before Matthias came to me one night with a smile on his face.

"What are you smiling about?" I asked, smirking a little at the fact that he had such a giddy smile spread across his face which I hadn't seen in a while. "Well, my dear little Emil," he replied, "My father is throwing me a party, so I can get distracted from you and find someone else!"

"Oh…" I said looking down, "And you are smiling because….?"

He picked me up and laughed, falling back on my bed, holding me in his arms, "Because there will be lots of people there! You can dress up and come, and he probably won't notice. We will just have to disguise you a bit…but what do ya say?"

I frowned, "Matthias, so much stuff could go wrong if I go. There is no doubt that he will keep a close eye on you, and everyone you talk to at the party. It could be a trap for all we know!"

"I don't think it is! Plus, there are too many people at the party for him to harm you or me, so we will be fine! He'll be drunk near the end of the night, and you can escape then. Come on, please? I'll bring clothes tomorrow night for you to wear. It is in two nights! Please?"

I made the mistake of looking at him, his goofy grin spread across his face as his eyes shined brightly. How could I say no to him? This was an opportunity to get to spend more time with him, so why wouldn't I take it?

"…Fine. But we need to be super careful, because I don't want any harm to come to you or Alfred and Arthur or…" I stayed quiet, not wanting to tell him about my little brother, the real Emil, yet. I would tell him eventually…maybe… I just want to make sure that all the risks are gone when I tell him.

I have grown really close to Emil in the last week, and though I don't remember him before the darkness, I feel like I have known him my whole life! He is an amazing little brother, and I even got him to call me his big brother once. I got to see his awkward side, and he even told me how he had a secret boyfriend once that was from Hong Kong and in Norway for trade. They are still together and the boy comes to Norway every year to visit him.

I don't know what I would do if anything happened to Emil though. I have already lost him once, and I cannot lose him again.

"Don't worry. I will make sure nothing goes wrong!" Matthias said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked to him, surprise for a second, then smiled. "I know…" I said, "I can't wait to dance with you again," I snuggled him.

He kissed me on the cheek, "Me too…but I have to go now. My dad is starting to come into my room earlier now."

"Alright," I said, getting up. He got up after me, and kissed me sweetly, "See you tomorrow night," he smiled, hugging me. I took in everything I could about him, memorizing it and replaying it in my mind. These midnight moments were what helped me carry on.

As I watched Matthias leave me again for yet another night, I smiled, thinking about getting to dance with him again. I tried looking on the bright side of all this since there has only been bad sides lately. It was going to be a good night! I am sure of it…

**_A/N: I'll just end that thereeeee. Sorry my chapters come out late, but the writing part is fun, I just don't like the editing -_-. Anyhoo, there you go!_**

**_Review for the next chapter!_**

**_~NorwegianPilot17_**


	19. Winter Sobriquet

_**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the long break. My computer broke, and I didn't have time to make another chapter to tell you guys in the Author Note that I was going to go on a short hiatus for that reason. Those of you who read my other fanfic, "America Freedom Jones" got that message though, so ya.**_

_**Anyway, please enjoy and review at the end!**_

_Winter Sobriquet_

It had been two nights since Matthias had visited me with the news of the ball. It had been one night since he had visited me with the clothes I was to wear to the ball. He invited Arthur and Alfred to come, and they accepted, telling me later that they would bring Emil with them. The outfit that Matthias brought for me was a light blue one, almost identical to the one I wore to Tino and Berwald's wedding. And just like every other night, he left in a hurry, having to make it back before his father noticed his lack of presence.

Tonight was the night of the ball and I couldn't tell if I was excited or very nervous. I guess I was a bit of both with finally getting to see Matthias back at the castle and finally getting out of this boat, but I was also scared of the King seeing me there. I wasn't just afraid of what he would do to me or Matthias, but I was also in fear of him hurting Alfred, Arthur, and Emil.

The three of them had all been there just as much as Matthias has since I got out of the darkness that they all call a chamber, and I thank them for helping me begin the life I thought I would never have. It was amazing how life for me got so much better in just a month.

Wait… A month?

My heart skipped a beat, as I had already started to run to Alfred and Arthur's room. I ran down the hall and ran into both of them in the hallway on my way there.

"Lukas? What's the rush?" Alfred asked, with a worried expression across his features.

I was breathing heavily now actually needing to throw up. "It's-It's been a month!" I said to them, holding my chest to control my breaths. Alfred and Arthur looked to each other, confused as to what I was going on about. After a few moments, Arthur nodded his head, and said, "Oh no… Didn't the king want you back yesterday?"

"Wait what is it?" Alfred asked, still confused. He probably hadn't been counting the days like Arthur and I have. I answered for Arthur since this day had more of a meaning to me, "Yesterday was the day I should have gone back to Norway. It was the day the king was expecting me!"

Arthur looked to me, "Well what happens now that you didn't go back to him in time?"

I looked down, trying to think back at what he said to me. I couldn't remember his exact words very well but I know that the effects of my mistake weren't going to be good. I shook my head, "I-I don't know…"

"We have to go back…" Arthur said, looking down, as he continued, "The king is not one to forgive and forget. If Lukas is not there then there is going to be a war on Denmark for sure. Especially if he finds out what is going on between Lukas and Matthias."

"But-!" I said, looking to Arthur, "I can't go back there! I don't want to go back there! If I arrive without Matthias he is going to hurt me and put me right back where I came from, but if I arrive with Matthias it will be just as bad, but I am free! I still can't choose, and there is not enough time…"

Arthur and Alfred looked to me confused, "What do you mean you have to go back with Matthias?"

I looked to them. Oh no… I was supposed to keep that a secret! Well… I was supposed to keep a lot of things a secret so I explained to them, "The King wanted me to bring Matthias back with me so he could kill him or I guess replace me with him! At first I was ok with it, but now that I love him, I can't let that happen! But I also don't want to go back and resume the life I had!"

Arthur sighed, a little in shock. He kept his calm, and slowly said, "I am sorry Lukas.. About all of this, but if you don't choose one or the other, there will be a war between Denmark and Norway, and we cannot let that happen."

Alfred looked to Arthur, "Is there nothing we can do to prevent anything bad from happening?"

Arthur looked down, "Sadly no… If Lukas doesn't go back, there will be war. If Lukas goes back, he will become the king's personal slave again, and if he goes back with Matthias then Matthias will die, and who knows if the king will actually keep his promise. The king has himself in a place where he will come out on top no matter what, and there is nothing we can do…"

I looked down, frowning. "I'll go back…" I ended up saying without thinking entirely. I didn't freak out this time though since I was used to my mouth working before my brain could have a say in the matter.

"What?" Arthur and Alfred asked simultaneously.

I looked up at them, confused as to how they spoke at the same time saying the same thing. I continued anyways, saying, "I love Matthias. Too much to watch him die… I'd rather be in the darkness knowing he is alive, then being free and knowing he is dead."

"Are you sure, Lukas? Please just think about it, there must be a way around this!" Alfred retorted, wide eyed.

"No," I replied, simply, "You heard Arthur. My dad always wins. At least with the way I am going no one truly gets hurt except for me.."

Alfred and Arthur both looked like they were at a loss for words. With Arthur trying to think if what he said was actually true, and Alfred trying to figure out a way to prove Arthur wrong and fix this safely for everyone, there was a mix of emotion between the two in front of me.

Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me.

"What's going on?" it asked, causing me to quickly turn around. The voice belonged to Emil. He was behind me, hair and clothes messy from sleeping. He yawned and walked closer to us, "Lukas is everything ok?"

I nodded looking down, and said, "Ya.. I'm just- I'm going back to Norway today."

"What?" Emil responded, shocked, "You can't go back! I just found you, I can't lose you again!" He rushed to me and hugged me, "I won't let you go!"

I hugged him back, "I'm sorry Emil.. I have no choice. If I could choose what happened to me, I would want to stay here with you and Matthias forever, but things just didn't work out that way… I will forever have you in my heart though, Emil. Though I can't actually remember you and the good days, in the short time provided, you have been the best little brother ever."

"No!" Emil hit me on my chest, pulling himself away from me, "Stop talking to me like you are saying goodbye! If I can't prevent this from happening, can I at least postpone it for one more night? The ball is tonight, so are you at least going to say goodbye to Matthias? Are you really just going to disappear and make him wonder what happened to you? That will tear him apart!"

"But Emil, if Matthias finds out Lukas is going back, he might want to go back to Norway with him. Then what would we do?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know but please don't send him back now! Let him have one last good night before he goes back into that Hell hole. Please! I don't know how long it will be before I become king and can release him, so… please…" Emil looked down, frowning.

I looked to him. In the years of me being in the darkness, I never would have thought I had people that cared so much about me. Though I couldn't remember him being my real family and Matthias, Arthur, Alfred, and I weren't related, I felt deep down in my heart that they were my family and I felt loved.

Alfred, Emil, and I looked to Arthur, because it was honestly all up to him. He looked to all three of us, in deep thought. After a few moments he smiled, and said, "I guess a few more hours can't hurt. When we return Lukas, we can say that there was a storm over in Denmark and we couldn't leave. Lukas, are you sure you want to sacrifice yourself and save Matthias?"

I nodded my head, "Yes. He would do the same for me."

"That's good," he smiled, "Well the dance starts in one hour, so we should probably get ready and head over."

Alfred grinned, "Let's make this night count you guys! Lukas feel free to just go off with Matthias and do whatever you want, because you will not be able to do it again, ok? And don't feel bad about ignoring us because you will have a whole day's worth of boat ride to hang with this gang!"

I blushed, "I'll go get ready now!" It was strange for Alfred to say something so personal, but then again he did have a point. This night was going to be my last moments with Matthias for possibly forever, so I'll have to make it count.

I got ready in the light blue outfit Matthias brought for me, and tamed my hair the best I could within the cabin of the boat. My hair was still in my face, and I tried to put it back behind my ear, but it kept falling. I guess it was just too long now to control. I laughed a little though, because Matthias would always make remarks about me having to cut my hair. If I knew how, I would.

When we were all ready, Emil dressing in the same clothes he came in and Alfred and Arthur wearing their regular clothing, we all made our way up to the brightened up castle. Less than a mile away, we could already hear the instrumental band, playing a violin and other strings. The sky was dark, and the castle was already filled with drunks.

I took a deep breath as we all walked into the castle, taking it all in. I couldn't believe this was my last party….

"Lukas!" I heard a very familiar voice shout, as the owner of the voice ran to me and wrapped his arms around me in a hug. It was of course, Mathias, hugging me and kissing me all over, "I missed you so much! It is so happy seeing you in the castle again!"

"Where is your dad?" I answered, not yet hugging him.

He looked around, and said, "I think he is already drunk, and went into one of the rooms down the hall with a few women," he smiled, "Looks like we have some time~"

I smiled and finally hugged him, "I love you so much.."

Matthias hugged me tighter, but then saw the trio behind me and said, "Woah…"

"What is it?" I asked, backing up a little into the group I came with. I accidentally stood next to Emil, showing how we looked a lot like the two brothers Matthias new a long time ago. Matthias shook his head, peering closer at both me and Emil.

"You guys look a lot like… Emil you look like your brother when you stand next to the boy next to you. he looks like you when you were younger but all grown up and you look like what Lukas would look like now. Do you see that too? This is pretty cool! What is your name?"

Emil looked scared to death like we had been caught, but still in a way kept his cool, saying, "My name is…. Er..ic…."

"Eric?! That's a cool name! It is actually very close to Emil. It was nice to meet you!" Matthias replied, finishing his quick introduction and grabbing my hand, "Emilia let's go!"

I was about to tell him to stop with the nicknames, but instead I just smiled. My last night here, I wanted to hear what he thought was my name and nicknames said by him over and over again. Everytime he said my name, it my heart beat harder and faster.

I looked back at the smiling Arthur and Alfred and still scared Emil, as Matthias pulled me away from them. He dragged me to the dance floor as the violinist of the bad started to play a slow song.

"Woah what a coincidence they play a slow song when we come to the stage~" he grinned, pulling me close. I smiled back, loving his personality and expressions.

In the boat, I thought it would be easy to go back to Norway, knowing I was doing the right thing and Matthias was going to be safe, but it is going to be so hard saying goodbye to him. I could feel myself starting to cry, so I quickly put the front of my face against his chest, hiding my tears.

I held both of his hands, and closed my eyes trying to get a control of my feelings. We swayed to the slow violin music, not saying anything until Matthias finally asked, "Emil is everything alright?"

I nodded my head, not moving my head from his chest, because my face was probably still red from crying. "I'm fine.." I replied, "I just- I love you so much, you know that right?"

"Of course!" Matthias exclaimed, "Wait… What's going on?"

Sniffling, I looked up to him, and attempted a smile, but I probably looked confusing since I was smiling and crying at the same time. He didn't ask questions about what was going on though. He pulled me close into a hug, and rubbed my back lightly and soothingly, "Shh… Everything is ok," he said quietly, "Please don't cry…"

Why was I turning my last moments into sad ones? I should try to make this enjoyable since this was going to be my last memory of him. The last one I would ever love before I am doomed to the dungeon for as long as the king lives.

"Hey…" Matthias said, "Come with me outside. I have a small surprise for you.."

"What? You do? Matthias you didn't have to.." I said, now feeling even worse for leaving him like this. I just wish I could tell him why I was doing this… Would it matter if I did? I would never see him again, so maybe I should just tell him the truth…

Before I leave him, I want him to say my real name. I want that as my last memory before I leave the last person I will ever learn to love.

**_A/N: Well that was a thing. Sorry again for the hiatus, but I have the end planned out now, and after this fic, I am going to start on a new fic called, "The Underground" so you should check it out when this fic is over._**

**_Reviews are what make me love to write the updates so please please please Review!_**

**_~NorwegianPilot17_**


	20. Winter Sadness Part I

_**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews on my last chapter! This may or may not be the last chapter in the series, depending on if I decide to cut everything in half. I probably will since it will be long. After I am done, I will do a closing chapter.**_

_**Enjoy the chapter!**_

_Winter Sadness Pt. 1_

Matthias led me outside to the back area of the castle. I had been here only once before when I first came here. What Matthias called overgrown willow trees were scattered around the space, blowing in the wind, which had calmed down over the days. There was still snow on the ground, and on a stone bench in the middle of the yard.

Holding my hand, Matthias led me over to the bench, and wiped off the bench, sitting down on it afterwards. I followed his actions and sat down next to him. What could he have had to show me?

I could see Matthias grinning like an idiot as he held my hand and looked around, before saying, "Your hair has gotten longer~"

"Really?" I frowned, "Out of all the things you could say, you go with that?"

He laughed, "No no! I'm glad."

"What?" I asked, confused, "Why?"

"Because," he said, pulling out a small wooden box, "This gift kind of works with it."

He handed me the wooden box, smiling, "Open it~ It's kind of stupid, but it reminded me of us and the similarities in our flags. The fact that together we can change our two kingdoms and bring them together."

I smiled at how much though he had put into getting the gift, even though I had no idea what it was. What could possibly have to do with my long hair and represent our kingdoms? I quickly figured out how to open the tiny box, and opened it to see a silver, white-ish colored cross within the box.

I looked up at Matthis, grinning, even though I didn't know what the cross thing was, "Thank you so much!" I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his cheek. He hugged me back, smiling wider than ever, "I'm glad you like it! Let me put it on you!"

"What?" I said, pulling back. It was something you put on? How could you fit in it? He knew what he was doing, so I just nodded my head and said, "Ok~" as I handed him the box, smiling. He took the cross out of the box, and held it in his hands, showing that the back of it had some kind of thing that would attach from the cross and break away just with the push of his finger. I wanted to try, but I could just do that later on the boat.

Matthias made the thing on the back of the cross open, and slid it across the side of my face and into my hair, pinning it back. He released his hand, and said, "It looks beautiful on you… I wish you could see how amazing you look!"

I laughed a little at the fact that he got me a gift that finally pulled back my hair. I love how he was always thoughtful like that. My fingers lightly touched the top of the silver cross as I said, "Thank you… I love you so much, Matthias. You know that right?"

"Of course!" he said, staring me in the eyes, as his smile then turned to a confused and worried stare, "Wait… Emil what's wrong? You seem sad…"

I smiled, "I'm not-! Well.. yes I am… I have- I have to leave tonight, Matthias…"

"What?" Matthias asked, eyes widening, "But you have only been here a month! You can't just leave! Is it my dad? Did he do anything to you? Why do you have to go back?!"

I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him. Maybe I shouldn't have told him the news so soon… I continued, "I just have to go back to take care of a few prince things… It will be only a short while so I will be back in two weeks maybe more. But I promise I will be back, ok?"

Matthias had near tears in his eyes, as he stared at me, his mouth in between a smile and just sobbing entirely. After a few moments, the choice of sobbing took him over and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close, and crying into my shoulder.

"You can't leave! Please don't leave… I can't live here without you. I can't live at all without you! Knowing our dads, they will find a way to make it so you can never come back. It is a trap, can't you see that?" He said, staring at me with tears and rage in his eyes.

"I love you so much Matthias, but this I have to do," I said, looking up and blinking my own tears away. I had to do this… "I promise you that nothing our dads do can keep me from coming back here."

That was the truth.

Even if it took years for the king to finally let me go or for Emil to take control of the kingdom and give me freedom.. Even if it took decades for any hope to show it's way past the darkness, I will find my way back here to Matthias. Because freedom wasn't my happiness anymore. Matthias was. He was hope, he was my happiness, he was my new winter song. He was the ending to the perfect song I had been searching for for so many years.

That thought alone was the thing that made me start to cry too. Through tears, I decided that Matthias didn't deserve this ending though. Matthias was too good to deserve this sadness that I had in my heart. I had to do something to make him glad I was leaving.

"Matthias… I'm leaving for another reason too…"

"What is it?" he asked, wiping his eyes and sitting up more to stare directly at me.

I sniffled, "I...I am not Emil…"

"What?" Matthias asked, scoffing almost from confusion.

"Eric is the real Emil, not me," I answered plainly, trying to make this confession as short as possible so I could leave quickly.

"Then who are you?" he asked, now frowning, as tears still fell slowly down his face.

I sighed, "Now this is the confusing part… I'm Lukas…" I grinned awkwardly, knowing what we used to be a long time ago, "Surprise…."

Matthias had so many emotions spread across his face. I could tell he was sad, confused, angry, betrayed, and so much more. But who wouldn't feel those feelings after what I just said to him? I started to speak, "I am so sorry I kept this a secret, but I had a good re-!"

"You have to be joking right?" he interrupted, "Lukas died years ago, I remember his funeral! You can't play a joke like that on me! I know you aren't Emil! I don't know who are you, but I know that you definitely are not Lukas! Lukas loved me and wouldn't do that to me!"

"Matthias you have to believe me! I am so sorry, but I didn't die. Things happened. Bad things, and I didn't escape it all until now! I can't remember anything before all that happened, but Emil, my dad, and I know that I am the real Lukas! I really wish I could remember you and how I loved you, but I just can't no matter how hard I try!" I yelled back at him, trying to get him to believe me. I was sad that he was mad at me, but this was what I wanted though. I wanted him to hate me like he did right now. I was fake. He didn't love me, and he wasn't going to miss me when I left now.

He looked down at the ground, shaking his head, not knowing what to think. He looked back up at me, "Fine. If you really are Lukas, then where were you all this time? What is so important that you couldn't even tell me you were alive? Or what made you 'lose your memory'?"

"I don't think I can tell you…" I said, looking down, "So please just believe me when I say this," I got ready to say a bunch of things that Emil told me about my past. I knew that it was kind of lying, but I knew I was really Lukas and I knew I did these things, I just couldn't remember it. I spoke, "I am Lukas. I am still the same boy that was your best friend! I am the same boy who vowed to marry you when we would both became kings. And though I can't exactly remember loving you, by how much Emil told me I loved you back then, I still love you as much now if not even more!"

I paused to try and see what he was thinking. After a few moments of getting him just staring at me in untrusting silence with tears falling down his face, I sighed, "If you believe me, then I understand you being mad… but I really do love you, Matthias. I am the same person you loved back then and the same person you fell in love with again just this month."

After another few moments of silence from him, he finally made a move, and kissed me. It was more harsh and rough than it normally was, but it was something. I didn't get a chance to kiss him back, because everything was so fast. When he quickly stopped to look at me through his tear stained eyes, he softly said, "After so many years… Lukas!"

He hugged me tightly, sniffling, "How? How are you here, I thought you were dead!" He asked, sitting down on the bench again, with me following in suit. "It really is a long story," I said, smiling that he believed me now.

"Why do you have to leave? Why right when you tell me that you are actually alive?" he asked, frowning, "Can I go back with you?"

I frowned at that, "I...I don't think you can. It is only for a couple of weeks though. Surely you won't miss me tha-!"

My speech was cut off by a sharp pain that struck in my lower back area and out my stomach. I kept my eyes on Matthias, still confused and shocked at the pain that was going on. Matthias eyes widened we he realized what just happened, and he got up and started shouting, no, screaming, at something behind me.

I looked down to see the long front of a dagger sticking through me. I gasped, shocked, as I started to feel the major pain that came with it. "Matthias?!" I breathed out, trying to turn around, but someone was holding the dagger in place. I couldn't control the tears that were starting to flow from my eyes for the pain that was appearing greatly in my body.

When no answers came to my cries of pain and I still couldn't move, I decided that the only way to do anything, was to try and go forward. I quickly started to slide across the bench, also sliding off the dagger, causing even more pain to strike my body and nerves.

I groaned out of pain, as the last part of my body finally slid off of the sharp tip of the dagger. I fell to the ground, holding my tears in as I clutched my stomach. What was going on? I looked up, vision blurry from the cold air, tears, and pain mixing into my mind. When I looked up I could see Matthias and his dad arguing.

"Wha- Matthias…" was all I could manage to get out, before the King looked down at me. He looked down at his dagger which was dripping with blood, and yelled to Matthias, "If you didn't want him to die, you would have kept him from the ball."

The king then grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, and picked me up, causing me to groan in pain. "Dad please! You are hurting him!" Matthias shouted, wanting to get me, but the King roughly slapped him away.

"That is the point, you moron! This boy is a traitor, I heard the whole story. He is not who he says he is, yet you still want to be with him! Are you really that foolish?!" The King yelled, starting to turn around.

He then began to drag me inside to the castle. I tried struggling against him, but it was no use with his strength and my wounds. What was going to happen to me? This wasn't how the night was supposed to go at all!

He opened the door to the castle and walked inside, dragging me behind him. He motioned the band to stop playing, and they obeyed as he walked to the center of the room. He had everyone's attention as they all stared to him.

"Men and Women, I have an announcement!" he yelled, his voice booming in the stone room. I could see Arthur, Alfred, and Emil in the crowd as I hung by the King's side, helpless. I tried to mouth to Alfred and Arthur to stay where they were and to keep Emil with them, being quiet. They somewhat got what I was saying and nodded.

Suddenly, the king started to speak again, "This boy right here has been deceiving and lying to the kingdom of Denmark for over a month now. He has pretended to be the real Prince of Norway while really he was just a thief. He is a threat to us Danes and must be killed! Now who wants to join in on destroying the shame that was brought to our kingdom?"

A bunch of shouts came from the men in the audience. I had my eyes closed, trying to focus on anything other than the pain of the stab wound, so I couldn't tell if they were shouts of protest or shouts of agreement that I should be destroyed.

The king grinned and grabbed me by my hair and started to drag me outside again, along with a mob following us. I grabbed at his hands, shouting for him to let my hair go. I started to get a headache as I struggled against his strong hold on my hair.

Instantly, the king shouted, "Sacrifice!" and a roar of cheers overcame the sound of the howling wind. Where was Matthias? I knew he was going to save me, but when was he going to decide to finally step in? Was he not going to save me because I told him who I really was?

The king dropped me to the ground, and yelled, "Do whatever you want to him my fellow Danes! He is a worthless boy who deceived your kingdom!"

I started to get up again, as he said those words, thankful that he finally dropped me. Before I could get up though, a crowd of people grabbed me and started to grab at my clothes, tearing some parts of them off of me. I begged them to stop, but they wouldn't listening.

I heard some individual shouts such as, "Get the wood!" and "Set the fire!"

Why were they shouting for people to do those things? I started to struggle more than ever against the strong hands that were scratching, grabbing, and beating me. I felt like I was just some piece of trash that they were beating down until I was nothing. "Matthias!" I called out, hoping for an answer, but none came. I spit up blood, "Matthias where are you?!"

When no replies came, I sobbed out, hoping someone would have pity on me and try to make the vicious mob stop. "Arthur?! Alfred?! Emil!" I called the names of anyone who would care, but no one came.

Suddenly, the crowd lifted me up to a thick, wooden plank that was sticking out of the ground, and pressed me against it. The put my arms behind my back, and tied my hands, waist, and legs to it tightly so I would stay up there without their help.

Though it hurt being tied so tightly to the wooden plank, I could finally see over the crowd of angry people and try to search for Matthias. Sadly, I still couldn't find him. Did he just leave completely? I was about to start searching for Arthur, Alfred, and Emil, but a heat started to rise from the spot below my feet.

I looked down to see a fire right under me. It was hotter than ever, and my legs started to feel pain from it. Everyone cheered as the gases of the fire rose up and made it harder for me to breathe. I started to cough violently as I was quickly trying to free my hands from the tight rope around them.

Since no one was around to help me, I started to try and reason with the crowd, "I didn't do anything wrong! The King lied! I am a prince of Norway! I'm- I'm Lukas!"

Everyone laughed, as they kept watching. People started shouting that I was either lying again or an evil spirit of the dead prince that had come to destroy Denmark. Suddenly, I heard a shout of distress coming from the back of the castle. I turned to that area, and saw Matthias.

"Matthias!" I shouted to him, smiling as much as I could with the pain that was on me.

He looked to me, with a scared face and when he saw me, his eyes widened. "Lukas!" he shouted, before he was knocked down by a figure I couldn't see. When the person came into view, I could see that it wasn't the king, but it was my dad…?

He had a sword and he was now standing over Matthias, who had an axe. Why were they fighting? When did my dad get here? Matthias looked back up at my dad, and put his axe between them, and pushed my dad off of him. Matthias quickly got up and ran away from him towards me.

"Lukas I'll get you down!" he yelled as he got closer to me. The king looked up at where Matthias went and finally saw me. He frowned, "You fool! I give you one job!"

He ran after Matthias towards me. Matthias got to me and started to untie my legs away from wood. He managed to loosen the rope, but by the time he had done that, the king had already caught up to him. My dad swung his sword at Matthias as I shouted, "Matthias move!" Matthias quickly moved out of the way and swung his axe back at my dad.

"Dad please stop!" I yelled, trying to wiggle myself free from the rope, but a coughing fit came upon me from the fire.

I managed to see the king look at me confused and surprised that I now knew he was my dad. He must have thought that I remembered everything, so I continued, "I know everything! Please just end this and we can just forget about this all! We can resume like nothing ever happened!"

He frowned, and shook his head, "I don't want to resume like nothing ever happened. You and Matthias are demons that should be killed!"

He then continued to fight and try to kill Matthias. I groaned and started to try and get free from the rope again. The flames were getting hotter and I didn't know how much longer I could take it. It was getting harder and harder to breathe and keep my eyes open.

Suddenly I heard Emil say my name as he pushed through the crowd of people in front of me. He ended up making his way to the front, "Lukas I'll get you down!" He ran behind me and started untying my legs, and then moved on to my waist and hands.

Once he was done untying me, I fell to the ground just enough away from the fire. Emil quickly helped me up before the crowd could see that I was not on the burning stake anymore. "Arthur and Alfred are getting their swords to fight father. We need to go now to be safe!" he said, as he grabbed my hand and started to run.

I stood my ground though, looking back at Matthias helplessly fighting off my dad. "Lukas come on!" Emil yelled, as he tried to pull me out of my trance. I pulled my hand free of him though, "No. I can't leave Matthias."

"Matthias is fine! You are bleeding out Lukas, you need to take care of yourself!" Emil argued, "I am not going to let you die again!"

I looked to him, "What do you mean die again?"

He was near tears as he replied, "Dad.. he faked your death, and… when that happened, I thought I lost my best friend! The first few years without you were like Hell and going through that again but for real this time is going to be worse! Please don't do this to me, Lukas!"

I looked down, "But I don't want to lose Matthias…" I then turned back to Matthias, grabbed his axe which was lying on the ground far away from his reach, and ran to him to give it to him to fight. I could hear Emil shout behind me, "Don't you dare leave me again! You are so selfish!"

Though I felt bad, I had to save Matthias. I wasn't going to die just by handing him back his axe right? I quickly ran to him and gave him his axe and stepped out of the fight again. It was as simple as that!

I then turned around to go back to Emil to tell him everything was going to be ok, but something stopped me and caused to jump back again. It was the tip of a sword that lead to its owner, Matthias' dad, the king.

"You brat! You have ruined everything! And now you will die!" he yelled as he pointed the sword at my heart.

How was I going to tell Emil everything was ok now?

* * *

_**A/N: Ya sucky ending but this chapter was like a week overdue. Sorry but endings are hard to write. The next chapter is the last chapter and then after that will be an epilogue to tie up loose ends.**_

_**Reviews are much appreciated!**_

_**~NorwegianPilot17**_


	21. Winter Sadness Part II

**_A/N: I have a couple of things to say._**

**_I finished this a week ago._**

**_I didn't save it._**

**_My computer restarted._**

**_It was deleted_**

**_I had to rewrite it again._**

**_Sorry this is a few weeks late but when something like this happens, you suddenly lose all interest in the project, because redoing stuff is NOT FUN. Especially when it is like a 3000-word plot that you have to rewrite as well as it was before._**

**_Sorry about my rant, but please enjoy._**

_Winter Sadness Part II_

This was it. There was no saving me this time, with Matthias fighting his own battle, Emil being mad at me, and Arthur and Alfred getting weapons. I was alone on this, and I could do nothing. I was cornered.

"Any last words, fool?" his voice boomed over the now quiet crowd of people. The only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of the cackling fire, the fierce wind, and the clash of metal between Matthias' axe and my dad's sword.

I nodded my head. If I was going to die now, the whole truth might as well come out to everyone. I yelled out so everyone could hear me, "Listen! I am the real Lukas! My dad faked my death and kept me hidden for years, me not knowing who I even was. I was tortured, sexually abused, and never saw the light until just a few months ago, when he sent me here to kill Matthias. I met Matthias thinking this was going to be an easy job if freedom was the payment, but I was wrong. I fell in love with him," I turned to where the fighting had suddenly stopped because both my dad and Matthias were shocked by my words, "I fell in love with you Matthias, and I didn't know what to do. If I did kill you, I would get freedom, but if I didn't, I would get love. I eventually chose love, but then I found out I had to go back no matter what. I had to go back, but my dad came before I could and I am so sorry. I love you still and all, and even though I shall die in just a moment, I will love you forever Matthias… goodbye."

I then turned around to face my doom, the unforgiving sword, already retracting back to plunge right into me. I closed my eyes.

So this was the end of my winter song? I guess I shouldn't have had my hopes up… It's not like it would ever have changed. I was probably just a note in this king's winter song to victory. I was a bump in the road to almost everyone here. I couldn't stop the tears from falling past my shut eye lids, causing my face to burn from the cold wind hitting the tears on my face.

I heard the wind of the sword starting to plunge directly at me, but something stopped it in midair. I opened my eyes quickly to see what it was and to my horror, Emil was in front of me. "Emil!" I shouted, as I stepped out behind him. He coughed up blood as the king quickly took his sword out of him and walked away. Emil's clothes immediately started to stain with blood as he fell to the ground. I caught him just before he could, and lightly laid him down.

"Emil stay with me! Please!" I yelled, more tears filling my eyes. "I-I can fix this! Please don't die!" I put my hands over his stab wound, trying to stop the bleeding but it was no use. I felt Emil's hand lay over mine, as I kept trying to keep his blood in.

"Lukas, it's ok..." he weakly said, "G-Go be with Matthias. You deserve to be happy, ok?"

"No, no, no, no, no!" I cried out, "I want to be happy with you too! Why did you jump in front of me?!"

Emil smiled, closing his eyes, "I couldn't lose you again…"

Seeing him close his eyes, and his words trail off caused my heart to skip a beat. Was he dead?! How do I know if someone is dead?! I was never taught this! I sobbed out, "Emil you can't die! Don't do this to me- You can't!"

I was afraid to touch him, but I had to wake him up somehow, he couldn't just be gone so easily! This wasn't how he was supposed to die, because he had a whole life in front of him! He did absolutely nothing wrong! He meant something to so many people, so why did he have to die over me?!

As I cried over his body, I had no idea that there was a figure creeping up on me. A figure that was all too familiar and was once again, swinging his sword at me. I heard Matthias shout, "Lukas watch out!"

What did he mean? I turned around to see what I was possibly having to move away from, and saw the king. His sword was once again, coming down at me. It was coming too fast, for me to have a chance of escaping its wrath. My eyes widened, as it only came closer, the power of the sword, mercilessly plunging it down.

Once again, something stopped the sword from killing me, but this time it wasn't a person. It was an axe that swung around the king and hit him directly in the chest, killing him almost instantly. His sword flew just next to me, and he fell backwards due to the axe's momentum dragging him down.

I stared, wide eyed and shocked at the sight. Who saved me? Only one person had an axe for the moment that I knew of and that was Matthias. He wouldn't kill his own father for me though, would he? I turned around quickly to see who had saved me and like I predicted, Matthias was standing there, eyes wide and tears falling down his face.

"Lukas! You're ok!" he grinned, running over to me, leaving my dad, shocked and standing where he was when Emil died. He ran over to his dad and quickly pulled his axe out of him, and ran over to me, kneeling down and hugging me.

I hugged him back, still crying, "Y-You saved me…" I said, as I buried my face into his neck. I sniffled, and wiped my tears on his fur shawl, as I clung to him. "Ya, I did," he sniffled, "I wasn't going to let anything happen to you, like I promised."

"But you killed your father to save me!" I argued with him, sniffling.

He hugged me tighter, "He was never like a father towards me… He never loved me like you do to me. I know that now, and I love you too much to lose you to someone that never actually cared."

I had no idea how to respond to the words he had said, but they had made me so happy. Was this all over now? I didn't know and I didn't care, but at the moment I just wanted to kiss him. And that is exactly what I did.

I kissed him, causing his eyes to widen out of surprise, but he then closed his eyes and kissed me back, holding me close. "I love you so much," I said, as I leaned into his warm embrace, being protected from the cold air around us. He hugged me tightly, repeating what I had just said, until a sound behind me gained our attention. My dad had dropped down beside Emil's body, tearing up, "Y-You monsters! You killed my son!"

I turned around quickly, because I didn't trust him to be behind me, and seeing his tear stained face, immediately made me remember that he might have been so evil to me, but he really did love Emil. A few tears escaped my eyes after seeing Emil's dead body again, but I regained my composure, kneeled down, and said to him, "Dad… I know this is hard, but maybe together we can-!"

Suddenly, he slapped my face, causing me to fall over to the ground. "You killed him! I don't want to do anything involving you! I should have just killed you when I locked you away. I faked your death for a reason because I knew you were a monster!" he yelled, tears forming in his eyes.

Matthias quickly helped me up. I put a hand over my red, raw cheek, and said back to him, "Why do you think I'm a monster?! Is it because I was different? Because I vowed to be with a guy when I was only five?"

My father glared at me, and replied, "I knew different was bad, and look how right I was! Two people have died on your cost, you filthy monster!"

"Stop calling him a monster!" Matthias finally shouted, "The only monster here is you for treating Lukas like you did for so many years! When he came to me, I thought he was a prisoner of war and was tortured brutally, but to think that his own father did such terrible things to him, makes you the real monster!"

Father frowned, "How dare you say that to me! You are only a prince, talking to a king in such a disrespectful way! You are the one that ruined Lukas, so you have every reason to die as him!"

"Dad that's enough!" I shouted, glaring at him.

He growled, "Don't you dare call me dad!" He then reached down to grab his sword from his baldric and quickly pulled it out, swinging it at me in the process. Matthias grabbed me and pulled me back, just far enough that only the tip of the blade cut my clothes. He got up and quickly went around Emil's body to come at me again.

Matthias dropped me and attempted to stop my dad's blade from hitting me. The swinging and blocking pattern continued until father managed to push him down to the ground to the point where Matthias was trapped and hopeless.

Father turned to me and grinned evilly, "Finally… The moment I get to end the biggest evil there ever was…"

He stepped over my waist and faced me, lifting his sword high in the air. "Lukas fight!" I heard Matthias breathlessly shout. He started to get up again, quickly grabbing his axe, "Don't leave me alone!"

My heart skipped a beat at those familiar words. The familiar words that Emil said to me shortly before I ran away from him to help Matthias and caused him to die. He didn't want me to leave him alone. Both of them didn't want me to leave them alone… because… because they loved me…

I had to fight for them because I loved them too! My eyes widened at the sword in the air, about to accelerate downwards towards me. This wouldn't be the end! I started to think about my options. Could I somehow trip him and make him miss, or move a little? I was trapped between his legs, so there wasn't much I could do, but there had to be something! I couldn't fail yet another person I lo-!

"Dad…" a weak voice said behind father. This caused him to turn his head, and see the barely moving body of Emil, laying in the snow.

"Emil!" I gasped in a soft voice, not wanting to disturb the pause in the action that was about to happen.

Father ridded of his sword in the snow next to me, and quickly walked back over to Emil, "Emil you're alive!" He said, grinning, tears of joy in his eyes. Emil slowly turned his head to our dad that had kneeled down in the snow next to him. "…What is going on?" Emil weakly asked, confused.

The king frowned and stared at me, making sure I was staying where he last had me. I was laying in the snow, confused how Emil was still living since he had died in my arms. Was this a miracle? Was he a ghost? The king answered his question, "I was just about to kill that monster brother of yours that got you killed…Don't worry. He will be gone soon."

Emil's expression didn't change as he replied, "That's good… I hated him so I was hoping we would rid of him quickly…"

Matthias walked over to me, ignoring what was going on, "Lukas are you ok?"

I quickly shushed him, confused why Emil was saying those things, "Be quiet, I'm listening…"

Matthias nodded his head, and also listened to the conversation, still not sitting down or letting his guard down. We both continued to listen to the words between Emil and father.

My dad laughed, "I am glad we both have the same opinion on that great evil…"

Emil smiled, "Same… I was so scared, I thought I died…"

"Me too…" father replied, "I swear I will keep you safe from now on, alright?"

Emil nodded his head, "I'll hold you to that promise… I'm cold… can you hug me?"

Father smiled, "Yes of course!" He then leaned down and hugged Emil. The hug went on for a few seconds before Emil weakly lifted one hand and wrapped it around his back. I couldn't see the other arm, but I just assumed it was doing the same as the one I could see.

That was until my dad choked out in pain, spatting blood out onto Emil. He tried to lift himself up a little bit, but the now showing dagger was tight in his chest. It all made sense now! Emil was saying those things to trick him into thinking he was on his side, and when they hugged he killed him. Emil pushed him off of him with the blade still lodged in his chest.

I looked to Matthias, "Are you seeing what I am seeing?"

Matthias' eyes were wide in surprise, "I-It's over…!" He then started to help me up, keeping his eye on my dad who was dying quickly.

"Both the kings are gone, and you and I can take full reign of the kingdoms! Of course… after… we help Emil," he smiled, "He may be alive now by whatever force let that miracle happen, but he used up a lot of energy so he won't last long unless we bring him inside away from the cold."

I grinned, thinking about how things were finally coming together. I ran to Emil, and quickly picked him up, "Emil! I'm so glad you're alive!"

He smirked, "The king only stabbed my waist on the far side, so I knew I was going to be fine… It did hurt like Hell though," he joked, laughing a little, then coughing and spitting up a little blood.

"Don't hurt yourself, Emil…" I warned, bringing him inside. Matthias followed me, and once we got inside the castle he called for a nurse and I laid him down on a table in a private room. The people that were once trying to kill me were now starting to make their way home. I guess since the fight was over, their fun was over. It was terrible what entertained them because of the rule of Matthias' dad… Hopefully he can change that…

The nurse asked us for space so she could sew the stab wound back together, and it would be best for me to stay away. I followed her orders without any questions, because the faster this happened, the more of a chance we had of Emil surviving.

Matthias and I stood in the now empty party room, just staring into each other's eyes for a while.

"Are you ok?" Matthias finally asked.

"Of course, since I was saved by you and Emil countless times, are you ok?"

Matthias nodded his head, "Ya, because you saved me by handing me my axe. Thank you…"

I smiled, "It was nothing compared to what you did for me, but you are welcome~"

Now before he could protest against what I had just said, I leaned up and kissed him, silencing his breath before the words could come out. At first he was surprised, but then he smiled and closed his eyes, starting to kiss me back as he wrapped his arms around my low waist.

"I love you so much," we ended up saying at the same time on each other's lips.

Mathias laughed, "And I'm glad you are ok…"

"Me too," I smiled, and continued kissing him.

After a while, we got breathless from kissing in the cold after a fight, so we resorted to just hugging and holding each other in the middle of the room. Our clothes were stained in blood, but the embrace was warm. Matthias sighed, "Lukas… I'm so happy I get to say 'I love you' to that name again…"

I felt my cheeks getting hot, as I smiled and nuzzled my face into his chest as a response. "…Lukas?" Matthias asked.

"Ya?" I answered softly.

"You are going to stay here now, right? Now that the king is gone and you have no reason to go back? I want you to stay with me forever a-and rule by my side," He smiled, shyly. It was evident so many thoughts were going through his head as he was wondering what my answer would be. I was the same way, thinking about what I would say.

Who would rule over Norway now that my dad was dead? Would I have to be the king now? I hope Emil can live and be king. I still had trouble socializing and living a normal life out of the darkness, so I didn't know the first thing about being a king!

Thinking about all that though, was Emil ready to be a king either? I couldn't just leave him alone and injured to do work that was put upon him so soon because of me! I loved Matthias, but as much as I wanted to be with him, I had to go back to Norway and help Emil, and that is even if he survives what has happened to him.

I looked down, "I-I don't know…"

"What? What do you mean?" Matthias asked, confused.

I shook my head, as I explained, "Someone has to rule over Norway. Emil is seriously injured and might not even make it, so as my place of being the next in line for rule, I have to do it."

"But Lukas you haven't been taught how to rule! It takes years and it is too stressful, especially for someone who just came out of the Hell your dad put you through," Matthias argued.

"I don't want to do it, but I have to! I can't just kill the king and let the whole kingdom of Norway just fix themselves out. They need a leader and I don't want to dump that responsibility on Emil!"

Matthias opened his mouth as if to say something, but quickly shut it because he was out of words. It was obvious in his expression that he realized I was right and wasn't too happy about that. "…Emil has been taught how to rule a kingdom since the day after the day you died. He has been prepared to take rule at any time necessary, he knows how to do it!" he kept arguing.

"But he is injured! And he might not even make it!" I shouted, starting to get frustrated with him.

He could see the anger starting to show in my actions, and calmed down himself, before trying to calm me down. He slowly put his hands on my hips and pulled himself closer to me, so our stomachs were touching. He looked down, "I crossed the line, I'm sorry… I just… I love you so much, ok? Whatever you feel is best, I want you to do…"

With his wide eyes, looking down in a sad expression, I felt terrible. I wish I could stay with him, but I felt like it was the best thing to go back with Emil. I hugged Matthias tightly, "I don't want to leave you, but I have to do this."

"I understand," he nodded his head, and hugged me back tightly, nuzzling his face into my neck.

A forced cough coming from someone behind us interrupted our hug, and caused us to look in the direction of the sound. The castle's nurse was standing there with a hard to read expression on her face, as she said, "He is patched up now. You two should move him to a bed so he can rest. He is going to live."

Both Matthias and I grinned and held each other's hands as we ran inside the room to see Emil. "Emil!" I smiled, as I ran to his side at the table. He smiled weakly, and had a hand on his sewed up stab wound, as he groaned, "Hey…"

I hugged him lightly, "I am so glad you are ok… This is all finally over…"

Just as I said that, two people stumbled into the room, and immediately I could hear a familiar British voice say, "Ah, Alfred, thanks to you taking a bloody hour to find your sword, we missed everything!"

I looked to them, and laughed at how they just got here and the bickering just started like they were a married couple. Alfred rolled his eyes, smiling, but then saw Emil, and frowned, "Emil are you ok?!"

Emil nodded his head, "Ya… I just got stabbed with a sword, no big deal."

"Not funny," I quickly scorned him, "We are going to put you in a bed, because when you are well enough we are going back to Norway. Can everyone help me?"

Once Matthias and I got Emil into a bed, Emil asked to talk to me alone. Confused, everyone walked out of the room and left me and Emil alone to talk. "What is wrong?" I asked him, sitting at the foot of his bed.

He sighed, "What did you mean when you said 'we are going back to Norway'?"

"What?" I asked, "Oh… I just meant that with dad dead, you have to rule the kingdom now, right? You can't do that alone. Especially when injured…"

Emil looked confused, as he said, "Lukas… I have been learning how to rule a kingdom for almost ten years now. I can tell you don't want to go to Norway and you want to stay here with Matthias, and I am fine with that! Please, do what you want to do. I can handle myself."

"But you are injured!" I argued him.

"And I will have someone to care for me," he replied, "It is about the time of year he comes to visit, and now with dad dead, he can finally stay. I want him to help me as much as Matthias wants you to help him rule the kingdom."

"Who are you talking about?" I asked, starting to consider the fact that I could actually stay and help rule this kingdom with Matthias.

"Someone I love. You will get to meet him when I visit him soon," Emil smiled, closing his eyes tiredly, "Even though we have a sea between us, there is nothing that will stop me from visiting my long lost big brother every once in a while, ok?"

I smiled, hugging him, "Thank you so much… This really is the perfect ending to this all!"

Emil hugged me back lightly, "Who said this was the ending? To me it is only the beginning…"

**_A/N: Aaaaaand that is the last chapter! The official epilogue though will be released next week, so stay tuned for that. I am so happy I am almost done with this project and am only one chapter away from finishing it. I am going to say an official goodbye on the epilogue but ya. _**

**_I am going to start publishing a new Nordic fanfic called, "The Underground" after I finish this one, so more information will be on the epilogue. Thank you so much and please review!_**

**_~NorwegianPilot17_**


	22. Summer Wedding

**_A/N: *sighs* So this is officially the last chapter. This has been such a fun fanfic to write and publish so I am sad I am ending it, but I am also happy that I stuck with it for this long and this is the first super long fanfic I have finished so yay!_**

**_Anyway, I hope you enjoy the epilogue!_**

_Summer Wedding_

We chose to do it in the summer. It was a practical decision that we made because it was the opposite season of the season where so much tragedy had happened. Sure it was when we met, but even then, we were both hiding so much from each other at the time.

What we did in the summer was something that officially ended the series of sorrowful events, and began a new story, a happier one, that Emil had talked about before he left the last time I saw him. Now, I could see him, standing behind me just now, watching what was going on.

"I do," I heard Matthias say, snapping me out of my thoughts. I smiled at his words as we held hands before Alfred who had cheerfully volunteered to unify us. Matthias had a bright grin spread across his face as he squeezed my hands out of excitement. Behind him was Berwald and Tino, who had come back from their honeymoon just months ago, and behind me was Arthur and Emil.

The warm air was a nice change from the winter I had first experienced the world in. I was nervous and excited at the same time as I stared into the eyes of the person I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. I could hear Alfred's excitement when he asked me, "And do you, Lukas Bondevik, pledge on your honor that you take this man to be your husband and partner in ruling the kingdom of Denmark. And that you will never turn on, nor cheat, nor betray him for as long as you may live together in harmony and love each other through any situation?"

I took a quick breath, looking into Matthias' eyes as I said and meant the words, "I do."

After saying those words, I couldn't even hear what Alfred was saying now. I didn't care. I was now married to the man I loved and I was going to live the rest of my life with him! This is the happiest moment of my life! Thought I could control what I felt on the inside and my actions on the outside, I could tell Matthias was having a hard time. He was practically shaking with joy as his grin kept getting bigger and bigger. When the words, "You may now kiss," were said by Alfred, Matthias immediately wrapped his arms around me and kissed me harder and more passionately than ever before.

I can't say I didn't do the same as I kissed back, unable to control my excitement any longer. The crowd watching us cheered as we kissed, which was a bit weird, since I didn't think it was that amazing to watch people kiss, but I was too busy kissing Matthias, who was now my husband, to care.

Matthias pulled away to look at me once more, "I can't believe we are actually married now!" he exclaimed, overflowing with joy. He then held my hand, "Are you ready to go dance?" he asked, grinning. I smiled back at him, "Are you kidding me? That's my favorite part about weddings~"

Matthias laughed and wrapped his arm around my waist as we walked down the aisle and into the castle where the music was already starting to play.

The dancing immediately started whenever everyone entered the room. Many old friends of Matthias' dad and him were there and came up to him a few times, complimenting him on the changes he made of the kingdom. Some of them even came up to me and introduced themselves, saying that they went to my funeral and it was humorous that my own wedding was years after I 'died'.

The confusion of that was a bit humorous to me, but I still tried not to think about anything what had happened when I was young. Thankfully, no one had asked where I had been all those years after my dad faked my death. In all honesty, I don't know how I would have answered if they had asked me any questions involving my past. Though I have a whole new life now, just thinking about what happened causing me to tear up even if I don't want to.

When it was starting to get dark out, Matthias nudged me and asked, "Hey, we should probably leave and get on the boat now so we don't have to get settled into it when we are tired. Are you ready to go?"

"Ya," I answered, "Are Alfred and Arthur ready?"

"I think so. They left a while ago to get the ship itself ready. They told me we can take our time, but we should probably leave before midnight," he explained.

"Alright. I just want to talk to Emil, because I haven't seen him around here let alone talk to him all night and I want to do that before I leave," I said, already starting to look through the gathering of people for a certain white haired boy that I hadn't seen since the ceremony.

Matthias nodded his head, "Ok! I'll be somewhere around this room talking to people, so just come and find me and we can go!"

"Ok," I said, starting to walk away, but then I turned around, forgetting something super important. "I almost forgot!" I said, before pulling him in for a kiss. His eyes widened in surprise at the kiss, but it didn't take long until he started to kiss back, wrapping his arms around me. "I love you so much…" he hummed on my lips, smiling.

"I love you too," I grinned, pulling away, "I'll be back in just a few minutes~"

And with that, I then turned on my heel and started to look for my little brother. Where could he have gone? I knew that he wasn't the best in large social situations like this, but I didn't think he would hide or anything because of there being so many people. Especially since I hadn't seen him in half a year, I thought he would talk to me after the ceremony.

He had been recovering all this time, and his 'friend' he talked to me about before he left was taking care of him. That same friend even came with him to this wedding, so Emil should have had someone to talk to. Wait… this friend was more than a friend, wasn't he? I am pretty sure Emil said something about loving the boy… After remembering that fact, I knew exactly where they were.

I turned to a door that led to a hallway that was known to me as the place where Matthias and I had our first kiss. It was during Berwald and Tino's wedding and it was the only place that was private but not too far away from the party. They were for sure in there.

Sure enough, when I opened the door, I found my little brother and his friend, making out against the wall. When their eyes widened and heads turned to me, I immediately felt like I was reliving the situation that happened with me and Matthias, but this time, I was playing the part of Arthur.

Emil pushed the boy off of him and quickly straightened himself up so he could say, "Nothing was going on!"

I laughed, "I saw you guys making out. I knew you two would be in here doing that."

"What? How?" Emil asked, his face red from embarrassment.

"Because Matthias and I-!" I started to explain, but Emil interrupted me, "Ok, never mind, I don't want to know that!"

"But you asked," I replied, confused.

"And I changed my mind. Why did you walk in on us if you knew what we were doing?"

"Because, I am about to leave. I just wanted to say hi, since I haven't seen you in forever. How are you doing? And who is this?" I nodded towards the boy Emil was previously making out with.

Emil blushed, and held the boy's hand as he replied, "This is Leon. He is my friend…"

"Boyfriend," Leon corrected him, staring at me with a smug expression.

I nodded my head, "Nice to meet you, Leon. Emil talked about you a lot when he was last here, so it is nice to finally meet you~"

Emil blushed and tried to glare at me, but it only ended up looking like he was about to cry. Leon laughed, seeing Emil's expression and kissed him on the cheek, "You look so cute~" This made Emil's blush worsen. The effect that this boy had on Emil just by saying stuff was really amusing to watch, but I really didn't have much time.

"Matthias and I are going to leave now, but I hope after we come back from our trip, we can spend more time together now that you are well. We can make up for the childhood we didn't get to have together…" I frowned, mad at myself for saying something like that in such a happy time.

I could see it in Emil's expression that that last sentence didn't exactly lift his spirits in any way. I quickly put my hand on the doorknob, starting to leave so I wouldn't make the moment any more awkward, but two arms wrapped around me stopped me from doing so.

Emil was the one hugging me tightly, and he stuffed his face into my chest, saying, "When you get back, I will visit immediately. I am so sorry I didn't spend more time with you here, but I-!"

"It's ok," I interrupted him, not wanting him to cry or anything, "Look. Matthias and I are leaving now, but maybe you two could see us off? It would mean a lot, and maybe we will visit Norway before coming home and see how well you two are running the kingdom."

"Really?" Emil got off of me, and blushed out of his previous actions, "You two would really do that? You probably don't want to go back there, so please, we can just visit you!"

I smiled and put my hand on his shoulder, which ended up being more awkward than I imagined, but I still continued, "Emil don't worry, ok? Sure, there are many bad memories there, but they are because of one person. That person isn't even alive anymore and so is that time of my life. And…I'd love to make new memories there…"

Emil's eyes lit up as he replied, "That's good! I can't wait to show you the kingdom! You can see the castle, and the whole kingdom of Norway is going to be so happy to see their "lost" prince again!"

"R-Really?" I replied, surprised that the kingdom of Norway cared that much about me.

Emil rolled his eyes, smirking, "Geez, Lukas, don't act so surprised. After hearing that you arrived, everyone acted like death was abolished. All the people in the castle that knew you when you were young even cried."

"Wow…" was all I could reply at the time.

Suddenly, the door opened loudly behind me and I could hear Matthias' voice say, "Lukie we need to go now! It's dark out and people are starting to get drunk…"

I rolled my eyes, "Already? I knew we shouldn't have let there be alcohol at this!" I said, turning back to him. He pondered at the thought of there being a wedding with no alcohol, and replied, "I don't think anyone would come if there was no alcohol, Lukas~"

In the moment, I glared at him, which caused his eyes to widen, a he said, "You know what? You're right! But before we take away all the alcohol we need to go, so hurry up!"

"Really?" I asked, crossing my arms, trying not to smile but failing miserably because it was hilarious how he was really trying to trick me. He laughed and hugged me, "You won't see anyone drunk if we leave sooner~"

Finally, he said the right words that sold me. With Emil and Leon following, all four of us walked away from the party to go to the boat where Alfred and Arthur were waiting. After talking for a few minutes and finally saying goodbye, Matthias and I decided to finally get on the boat where Alfred and Arthur were getting ready for the long boat ride.

Matthias and I held hands getting onto the boat, and saw lanterns leading to our room where we were saying. I grinned inwardly, knowing that Alfred and Arthur set those up for us to make sure that even on the boat, things were romantic.

"Do you want to wave goodbye from the boat? I have never been on a boat this big so everything is so cool!" Matthias exclaimed, looking around the top deck of the boat. I nodded my head and looked over the ledge of the boat, to see Emil staring up at me with Leon wrapping his arms around Emil's waist.

He looked so grown up with someone to love. It was evident between all of us that we had aged a lot mentally from the last year. So much had happened and I am so glad everything ended up having a happy ending.

Having now married Matthias and having him by my side, Emil being alive and having someone he loved to help him rule, and all of us being safe in the end is more than I could have ever asked for. When I was dreaming of a new Winter Song, I had thought that an ending like this was next to impossible to have.

I smiled and waved to Emil and Leon, before Matthias turned me by surprise and kissed me. I smiled, leaning into the kiss. All I could think about was how I had everything I had ever wanted and I was never going to let it go. This was the song I wanted and… It wasn't a winter song anymore. With the warmth of the air on this summer night, I know I had something so much better than a winter song. I have a summer song, shared with the people I loved the most.

**_A/N: Sorry if this was a bit dragged out or sped up, but it was so hard to end right. But this was the official last chapter! In a few weeks I am going to start posting a new fanfic called, "The Underground". It is about the Nordics in a zombie apocalypse, so make sure to follow me so you can see when I post the first chapter and check it out to see if you like it!_**

**_That's it, but reviews are much appreciated! Thank you!_**

**_~NorwegianPilot17_**


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